


Saving Hogwarts

by Casyn



Series: Saving Hogwarts [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, Child Abuse, Eating Disorders, OC's - Freeform, Self Harm, Sexual Abuse, Summer Camps
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-09
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2017-11-20 17:38:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 44
Words: 317,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/587991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Casyn/pseuds/Casyn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if the war was over at the end of Harry's second year? What if  Dumbledore died suddenly that summer and Hogwarts herself decided to choose a new Headmistress, one who would do more good than harm? What if everything was different?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Eye of the Storm

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Harry Potter. There are dozens of OCs here because they were needed and this story is completely AU. It is also a WIP and posted on Fanfiction as well, but there will be scenes here that cannot be posted there. Enjoy. X's are scene breaks, italics are usually thoughts but sometimes flashbacks.

This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't. The Headmaster had been dead for all of three days. She had not meant to take on the wards, had not wanted Hogwarts to choose her. It had just...happened. Damn Albus. This is what happens when an old fool is careless! Minerva could not even take the position any more, one that the woman had been more than happy to fulfill. Honestly, the woman was nearly making herself a suspect in his death! Foolish old bat. Oh why did she speak does words, as true as they still were? She had only been teaching here, teaching a healing course, for two years! Two. As a favour to Albus. And now she would be here until she was no longer needed. Dammit to hell.

-x-

**Five days prior**

“Yes, yes, settle down. Another year gone and the castle is once more still standing!” The headmaster stood in the centre of the staff room for a moment, before turning to ease himself into his overstuffed violet armchair. His periwinkle eyes twinkled, moving over the faces of his professors. Only two were absent. One was in the hospital wing, getting ready to be sent to St. Mungos, and the other was...well, actually, he did not know where Sybil was. “Lord Voldemort is destroyed at last, the Weasley twins did not cause any lasting harm with that last prank, and we are once again short of a Defense Professor. All in all, a grand year!” The snort from the corner was not unexpected, the young witch glaring at him from his potions master side was. He wondered briefly what he had done to upset the young teacher but dismissed it as needless, turning to speak to his deputy for a moment.

“Yes, because nearly a dozen injured students, traumatized students, and recklessness in general is merely grand.” She growled under her breath, watching the old man with steely gray eyes under the fringe of nearly black hair.

Severus Snape scowled at the girl, she really wasn't much younger than him, next to him. She was right, of course. But there was absolutely nothing that they could do about it. Sometimes he wondered if most of his students would not be safer at their homes than inside this castle, at least while under the watch of one Albus Dumbledore. The year had just ended, thank Merlin. Two months of a nearly silent castle, two months of brewing. He glanced at the headmaster for a moment before exchanging silent smirks with the young woman. Many idiots often wondered if they were related, and while they were not, they could have been. She was merely six or seven years younger than him, in her late twenties, a prodigy in her own right. Her hair was a shade lighter, but it was not very noticeable. Her skin was the same shade, the same pale, sickly white, as if she never went into the sun. She was tall and thin, skinnier than he was, both of them near gaunt. Her eyes were the same shape, her fingers long and slender. If he had not know better, he might even agree that they might be related. Both of them were half-bloods, after all. But she had been born to a family on the continent, specifically Germany. She had not even attended Hogwarts as a child. Her mind was fast, she used wit and sarcasm like a weapon. Their pasts, according to the headmaster, were similar. Although he doubted that Albus knew what he was talking about with most things, it was easy to see it in this girl.

But there were differences too. She had a mastery in Healing and Charms, not Potions and Healing as he did. She was softer, kinder; he used harsh words and a biting tone. He did not bully his students, but they respected him completely, feared him even. His subject was dangerous; hers was too, but much easier to fix or control. His nose was almost hooked, hers was much more slanted, small. His hair was, by nature, greasy looking. Hers merely looked healthy. They were quite similar, it was true. But also different. No wonder his female colleagues kept hoping he would end up _together_ with the young woman. They called her a female version of himself, said he might like her because of that. He did like her, but not in that way. He knew, for the younger woman had snapped it at him one night, that neither of them swung that traditional path. In fact, he knew that the girl was crushing madly on the Astronomy professor. Well, it was better than Sybil, anyway.

“Be that as it may, there is not much that can be done, Alexis.” Severus growled softly, turning his eyes back to gaze at the other chatting professors. Such a well organized meeting that they were not even discussing why they were here!

“You are wrong, Severus. Much can be done, if only someone was there to set it in motion.” Alexis replied softly, her own eyes scanning the room. She froze suddenly when she felt magic surround her, however briefly that it did so. She strengthened her Occulmacy wards, frowning when it was just a mere brush of warmth. Almost as if the magic was...hugging her. Odd, but then Hogwarts was Sentient, after all. She could feel and sense the magic everywhere, but never like this. Severus quirked an eyebrow at her, but she merely shook her head. It was nothing to worry about. Not right now, at least.

-x-

**Three days Prior**

Professor McGonagall, the very prime and proper woman, looked frazzled. She sunk down into her chair in the staff room, not even bothering to look at her fellow professors. She had summoned them all here and they had come. Now, to only deliver the _bad_ news. It had not really sunken in yet, but in a few days time she would wonder why the wards had not accepted her then and there, why Hogwarts had not become hers. But at the moment, that was not at the forefront of her thoughts. “I am sure you are all wondering why I have called you here, but I have some...unfortunate news. The Headmaster...Albus is dead. Poppy is making the arrangements at the moment.” She announced gravelly, not even taking note of Fawkes, who was observing the room from a corner. Dead silence followed her announcement and then her colleagues all started to speak at once, as she knew they would. Well not _all_ of them. Three were silent. The stupid potions-master, Filius, and that dimwitted chit that Albus had hired. Filius, she knew, was probably just dumbstruck that the great Albus Dumbledore was dead. She did not notice the looks that all three of the mentioned were sending her, she was too busy planning her changes. Doing away with Slytherin house, once and for all; no longer having to be Head of House to those little bratty lions; firing the Death Eater and the chit; removing the new course that Albus had started, largely due to the urgings of the board of governors...the list was long and still growing. She sat there plotting as her coworkers grieved and lamented the death of their _great_ leader. That was, until the chit spoke up. And then everything changed.

Minerva was being quite...suspicious, to the eyes of a Slytherin at least. Albus had died...but she made no mention of how or why. Severus knew that he would need to talk to Poppy and soon. McGonagall's eyes even had a gleam of something in them, something that he did not like. He did not like the look she threw him either. He had a feeling that his job might not be safe anymore. Of all the professors here, McGonagall was the only one to never accept his past or him. Filius was quite contemplative himself, but his thoughtful expression and his grief did not hold the same fire that her eyes did. Where was her grief? Her sorrow? Odd indeed. It was then that he caught sight of the songbird, Albus' old familiar. Fawkes, who might attach himself to the new headmistress as he had done Albus. Or who might merely leave and find a new master. But the bird was not watching her at all. No, the bird was watching Alexis, intently so. As if Alexis was about to say or do something extraordinary. He would be shocked, later, at how right he had been.

Alexis' steely gray eyes took in the room. Something did not feel right. Her bones ached and her head felt light. There was a bit of grief there, for a man that she respected, although had not known well. Albus had saved her from a bad situation, she taught as a favour because she owed him, not unlike many of his professors reasons for teaching. But she also knew that something was wrong. She could sense it. Her senses had never failed her before, she felt auras and magic naturally. The castle was...grieving. Grieving so much that it hurt her head and made her ache. But it was also..upset. Something had set Her off, for Hogwarts was a her. “There is much healing to be done.” She remarked softly, surprised when every set of eyes turned to look at her. Her voice had carried easily, strangely. And then she felt it, the magic surrounding her again. Gently, warmly. There was a Phoenix, flying toward her and she instinctively held out her arm, allowing him, Fawkes, to land.

 _“Very well, human kit. She accepts you, she_ ** _needs_** _you. You will do quite nicely.”_ The Phoenix's voice sounded inside her mind, muffled, confusing. And then the world went black.

**-x-**

“Minerva has been expelled from the school grounds. The wards will not allow her back in.” Severus drawled, watching the 26 year old who looked just a tad overwhelmed. Granted, Poppy had yet to let her leave the hospital wing and was currently fussing over the girl.

“Really, Poppy! I'm fine. The magical drain was...well not expected but they are thousand year old wards! My magic has adjusted and I can feel them quite well! So please, may I return to my quarters?” Alexis snarled, before turning sharp steel eyes to the Potions Master. “Thank Merlin, Severus. Fawkes told me that she came very near to killing me. Hogwarts expelled her, yes?”

“But of course. If Filius and I have had a choice, she would have not managed to escape. She will not come here again and she is under investigation for the death of the previous Headmaster as well as the attempted murder of the newest.” His voice dripped with disdain, watching the girl...no, the new Headmistress, struggle with the mediwitch for another few moments before Poppy huffed and left. “She was not...happy.”

“That's the understatement of the century.” Alexis muttered, understanding his meaning quite well. Poppy came back with a vial and a file. Damn that wasn't good. “I hope the castle realizes that I have no idea what I am doing.” She sighed, raising an eyebrow at the infuriating healer.

The older mediwitch merely chuckled. “You will have all of us to help. I assume you have already chosen a Deputy and he will help you handle the amount of work. Now then, about these tests Alexis...” Poppy trailed off for a moment, glancing at Severus. But at the younger witch's nod she continued. Clearly she was not wrong in her line of thinking after all. Severus would be a solid choice for deputy. No matter how much she had like Minerva, that woman always held the belief that Gryffindors were better than all others, even since she was a child! No wonder the castle rejected her. Poppy sighed, changing her trail of thought, she did have a patient to scold, after all. “Much healthier since you have come to us, but two years is not long enough to heal all the damage. I stand by what we discussed two years ago child. It would be helpful, especially now, to speak with someone. I know quite a few good mind-healers, but I am aware that you do as well. You still need the nutrition potion and if you do not start to eat more, I will ask Pomona and the elves to make sure that you do.” She threatened quietly. The child... Headmistress now, was not anemic anymore, but only just. A rough childhood that rivaled Severus', and quite a few other students, eating 'issues', and a bad situation had left the...Headmistress in quite a bad shape two years prior. Poppy frowned at the child's shrug, but dismissed her anyway, _after_ making sure that she downed the vial. “Severus will help you to your new quarters.” She added softly. Albus had been buried, privately and quietly, as were his wishes, the day before. As she was neither family nor friend, Alexis had not attended nor been expected to. The girl's things had already been moved to the Headmaster's office and his portrait had joined the others on the wall. He had not seemed surprised at all about what had happened. He had said that Alexis would do well for the school and then promptly fallen asleep. Damn man.

-x-

**A week later**

Alexis sighed, gazing out the window for a long moment. She had yet to speak to the three men who sat in her living quarters. All of the Headmaster's belongings were gone, even the instruments from his office. The pensive was sitting on the dining room table currently, as all three men had just finished reviewing the past few days events. Her own possessions, what few there were, had been moved here. The elves had even decorated for her, but in nice muted tones. Silver, blue, green...nothing as bright as Albus' quarters had been and no yellow anywhere. His will had been read and he had left much to many, including Severus. Including her. Nothing to Minerva, as if he had known that she would betray him eventually. To Severus he had left a cottage and a vault. To her...he had left the pensive and his personal libraries. It was strange, to her at least. Albus had only known her for five years, had only been her boss for two of those. She knew the cottage of course, having been there a few times with Severus and his...friend. Severus had promised that she was still welcome there, a home away from Hogwarts, so it seemed. She finally turned from her vantage point, watching the vacate grounds, to face the three quiet men. She knew that each was contemplating much of which that she was.

“Filius, if it would not offend you, I would like to offer Severus the deputy position. I intend to break up the actual duties but in case something were to happen to me, I would like you, Severus, to be my second.” Alexis remarked quietly, finally dropping into an armchair.

“That's fine by me.”

“Of course, Alexis. I do accept the post as Deputy.” Severus respond solemnly, fighting a shudder as he felt the ancient magic touch and surround him. It was gone quickly, and it was binding. The castle approved, he would be deputy or die trying.

“Good. Remus...would you be willing to be both head of Gryffindor and Defense professor?” She asked, turning to the third man, only a few years her senior. She knew his arguments and she had a solution to them already. She had spent the last several days working out plans and ideas in her mind and on parchment. She had even met with the board of governors twice! Thank the gods that she knew Narcissa Malfoy personally and her husband was quite willing to listen to the new Headmistress, who had informed the board that as they were not in the original Charter and added as a provision that the headmaster could _abolish_ if they so chose, that the board would do well to listen to her. They were actually quite happy that she planned to make changes. Albus had only made one in...thirty years? Something like that. And that was adding _back_ the old class on healing, the one that _he_ had gotten rid of. She was quite good at budgeting and planning, she could make the budget stretch well enough to cover all the new subjects, which she was already looking over applications for, as well as managing to add more teaching staff.

“Due to my condition...I do not see how it is possible or safe.” The werewolf sighed, frowning at the younger girl. He looked worn down and, quite frankly, much older than thirty-three. His clothes were patched, his face gaunt, and he was skinnier than both of the _ex-_ anorexics in the room, although not by choice.

“It is both possible and safe. You would be the primary Head of House. As primary Head you would handle the majority of problems and all issues of discipline. If something happens during the full moon, the secondary head will handle anything immediate and will make sure all rules are followed. Actually, it has been advised that all Houses have a primary and secondary Head. With nearly a hundred students in each, two pairs of eyes are much better than one. Aurora will be your second and will help with every day affairs as well. It gives the students two people to come to, instead of one. The board has already approved my proposal, as it does fit with one of their political proposal to reduce restrictions on werewolves. You would teach the majority of the month, with a teaching assistant to fill in right before and after full moons. The head of the DMLE has agreed to allow Aurors to come help us out for a week at a time, on a rotating schedule. It will allow the students to learn much more and to make up for their past defense education, or lack thereof. Would that make it easier for you to accept, or do I need to throw in a years supply of chocolate?”Alexis replied dryly, quirking an eyebrow at the older man.

Remus Lupin stared at the woman, not more than a child really, for a moment before he dissolved into laughter. She had thought of everything and had taunted him while she was at it. He had always thought that young Alexis could be Severus' little sister and this was why. Once he stopped laughing, he became serious once more. “Of course, I will accept the duties of both Head of Gryffindor and the Defense post.” He replied as solemnly as Severus had. A small swirl of magic, warm and softly, and then it was gone.

“Good. Now, for the new classes. Healing will obviously still be offered for third years and above. First and second years will also have a new required class. Muggleborns and Muggle-raised will all take Wizarding culture, while those raised in the Wizarding world will take a basic introduction to Muggle studies. Some of the older students will also need to take Wizarding Culture, but I have found a good Professor for that. Charity has agreed to teach Muggle Studies for the little ones, so that is covered. A Latin course will be added for all first years, as well as a course for those who need to brush up on their skills. A course on the different magical communities and uses of magic, everything from house elves to Egyptians, will also be offered for those third year and up. Filius, I need you to visit a raising third year and explain to her that she cannot take all the courses offered and as a muggleborn she will not be allowed to take muggle studies.” Alexis took a deep breath, running through the list in her head. She could not remember the child's name, but Filius seemed to know exactly who she meant.

“Ms. Granger is actually a Gryffindor, Alexis. But it would stand to reason that the girl would want to take Muggle Studies.” Severus droned, smirking.

“That child should have been a Ravenclaw. Just as Potter should have been in Slytherin.” Filius chuckled.

“Harry? Really?” Remus turned to the smaller man, drawing himself into the conversation for the first time since he agreed to Alexis terms.

“The boy is cunning, good at healing himself too. If I didn't know better..” Alexis trailed off, her eyes narrowing. She had only ran into the boy a few times, one of which he had gotten in to an altercation and she had seen him effortlessly heal himself, without even thinking about it.

“I don't like that look, Alexis.” Filius murmured, turning sharp eyes on the young woman. He knew where her mind was going, a quick glance at Severus showed that his mind also followed.

“Do you suspect?” She asked sharply, steel meeting brown eyes.

“Only in the last few weeks. Just before the end of term, Potter seemed...quite distressed about going home. Much like a few of my Ravens and Severus' Snakes.” Filius replied quietly. He was going to mention it to Albus, before the other man had died, peacefully they said, in his sleep, never expecting the painless poison. He had noticed little signs over the last few weeks, signs that he had seen in other students, although usually much earlier.

“Potter abused? He would have said something by now to Albus or Minerva.” Severus snapped, glaring at the wall. His mind was quickly drawing together all the little signs over the past two years. Signs that he had pretty much ignored at the time. The defiance, the posture, the subtle flinching..it was all defensive behaviour. Fucking hell.

Remus had grown quiet, contemplating this. If Harry was abused he would not allow the boy to stay with his relatives. He would not suffer like he had, like his Severus had. The boy needed to have love and support, especially now. He would fight for the child if he had to. And damn it, he would protect the lad.

“Would you have Severus? And when you did, was it taken seriously? I know it sure as hell wasn't when I spoke up in Germany. “ Alexis sneered, glaring at the older man. Harry might had said something, and would Minerva do anything about it? The woman had only seen what she wanted to. But surely letting a child be abused... “How many in Hogwarts this past year and why are they not still safe within these walls?” She asked suddenly, turning to Filius and Severus.

“Out of 427 students? In total, 53 are abused at home. Only 19 of those are severe enough, life or death, for Albus to try to remove. Fifteen are living with relatives and the other four have foster families. The fifty-three does not count the neglected or the ones who are not enough to be removed by legal standards. Albus only removed those nineteen because we pushed him too. Otherwise, they would not have survived another summer. Some of them still might not. Fifty-three students could legally be completely removed from their homes. Another twenty-three could use help and support. Of the whole student body, 76 abused and neglected, in varying degrees. Or at least, that what we have found. Many are muggleborns whose families do not understand and fear their magic. Muggleborns are killed every year because of this and Lucius is working toward changing the way the system works so that if they are not wanted at home, they can go to families who will want them or into the care of other muggleborns. Albus would not allow the students to stay in the castle.” Severus replied dryly, scowling furiously. His students were hurting at home but the old fool had done little to help it.

“That changes _now_. I need a list of every student who has suffered any degree of abuse. Does Poppy have the files?” Alexis asked, her tone dangerous. No child in her school would be hurt on her watch. No longer.

“She does.” Filius remarked quietly, watching the young woman who wore power and authority like a cloak. Her power level might not be as high as Albus and she might not have the elder wand, which had been destroyed, finally, but she was powerful in her own right. And dangerous. He remembered quite well why Albus had brought her here.

“Good. Severus, if you have free time tonight, I need you to go check on Harry Potter. I don't care if you don't like him, take Remus with you and check on the child.” Alexis growled. Neither man argued. Instead, both nodded, standing as one and leaving quickly. She knew Severus quite well, even after so few years, he did not like any child to hurt, especially at the hands of their relatives. Her healing skills had been called in to help a few times over the last two years, but only for a few students. To have 76 students who were left to handle it on their own...in a school of 427, it was just ridiculous. That was nearly a fifth of the student body! Oh the old fool...if he wasn't dead she would hex him so fast!

“Do you have plans on how to handle the hurt students, Alexis?” Filius asked quietly, watching those sharp steel eyes snap and crackle with anger.

“Yes, I do. They need healing and Hogwarts will be here to help them.” She replied quietly.

“Hogwarts needs healing and that is what I tend to do. To right the wrongs that have gone on and fix the wounds with more than just a plaster. Hogwarts will be saved, or I will die trying.”

-x-


	2. When Life Comes Crashing Down

 

x-

**#4 Privet Drive**

A skinny twelve year old child was sprawled in the garden, his broken glasses resting nearby. His jet black hair was tangled with dirt and leaves, his tattered clothing oversized and worn. He wore no shoes. Harry Potter was quite small for his age, unnaturally so. Currently his eyes were closed, a small gash on his head bleeding. Tossed outside like the trash that he knew he was. It did not matter that his teachers had destroyed the Dark Lord and that he was now safe. He was never safe, would never be safe. Professor McGonagall had snapped at him that he could not remain at the castle, that students weren't allowed. He just wished that he could be somewhere else, instead of at the Dursleys, lying on the grass in the back of the garden. Slacking off, his uncle would say. But he could not move. It hurt too much.

The two wizards apparated to the pristine, flawless house. Severus Snape had his healer bag tucked into a pocket of his robe, keeping one eye on his silent lover. He hoped to the gods that the child was not abused. It was not that he hated the Potter child, he didn't. But he had always felt guilty because of the boy. Severus knew, however, that if the child was abused, he would not leave him here to suffer. Hell, he would take the boy in if he had to.

Remus hesitated before striding silently up the steps of Number 4, which looked exactly the same as all the other houses. Did no one in Little Whinging have personality or individualism? He exchanged glances with Severus briefly before knocking on the door. There were lights on inside the house and noise could be heard from the thin walls, but so far he had not seen any signs of Harry.

The door opened to a large...man, glaring at them. He was quite surprised that the fat lard of a man could actually walk, let alone speak. He looked and smelt like a troll. Severus hoped, briefly, that he was as dumb as a troll too.

“Yes?” Vernon Dursley sneered, surveying the two men on his stoop with suspicion. He was a rather large man and he held his bulk in a way that was meant to be threatening, one beefy hand holding onto the door. These two normal looking men, although one did look quite shabby, had the air of...fairies. And he would not have those type of folks around his son!

“Mr. Dursley? We are here to speak with your nephew.” Remus growled, his nearly golden eyes threatening.

“He is not home.” Vernon snarled, slamming the door shut. He stalked back to his chair and was about to sit down when the door burst open. “Freaks! Get out of my house!” He screeched, moving as menacingly as he could, which was not at all, really, toward the two slender men.

“We are not leaving until we have spoken to Harry. Now, either tell us where he is or...” Severus let the threat hang, his wand held easily in his hand. He kept an eye on Remus though, as the slightly older man was sniffing the air, catching Harry's scent.

“He's out back.” Vernon grunted, turning white and stepping back. He did not like wizards, not at all.

Remus merely nodded, already following the boy's scent, one that he had not smelt in several years, through the kitchen. It was a bit puzzling though, the child's scent had been all over a broom cupboard...odd. Remus opened the back door and froze. There was a small boy lying on the grass, blood on his head. The smell of blood was quite strong, as if more than his head might be bleeding. “Severus quick.” He growled, running over to the small, pale body. He crouched down beside the boy, feeling, rather than seeing, Severus drop beside him.

He cursed under his breath, pulling out his bag and dropping it carelessly on the ground. For a brief moment he wished for the feisty little healer, but Alexis would probably curse Vernon first. That would just have to wait...Harry was injured, badly so. Severus waved his wand over the child's body, frowning as the diagnostic spell set in. The most pressing injury was a broken rib that was pressing against the child's lung. He had a healer's training, but he was not as gifted as Alexis or Poppy. Severus took a deep breath, black orbs scanning the boy's body as he spelled away the child's shirt. Belt marks and bruises covered the young boy's stomach and chest. He gently placed a hand on Harry's ribs, his wand carefully tracing the broken ones. For more than one rib was broken, although only one was close to puncturing a lung. A few minutes of muttered Latin and the child groaned, eyes fluttering open. The ribs were healed, but they would still have to be careful until Poppy could check the ribs again.

Harry groaned, blearily opening his eyes. His green eyes widen, he just _had_ to be dreaming. Even if the Potions Master had been less evil toward him in the few weeks before the end of term, he just could not believe that the greasy bat would be crouched on the ground beside him, looking at him with concern. _Oh no._ They could not know. _Nonono._

“Calm yourself, Mr. Potter. You are injured and I need to treat you before you make it worse, you silly child.” Severus drawled, scowling down at the small boy. Really, the child did not look eight, let alone nearly thirteen! The boy had stilled instantly, staring at him with wide, scared emerald orbs. Severus sighed, running his wand over the child again, returning to whispering healing spells. A few groans later and it was safe to move the scared boy. He had healed his head and leg, knowing that while the bruises were uncomfortable and the welts were painful, it was best to treat those at Hogwarts, instead of in the scum's back garden. He wordlessly handed the child a pain potion, waiting for the child to tip it back before speaking. “Mr. Potter, it is quite time that we leave. I am going to pick you up now, is that alright?” He asked briskly, knowing better than to touch the child without his permission. Who knew how far the abuse might extend, it was better to be safe than to have a panicked child on his hands.

Harry stared at his evil potions professor. Wait, could the man still be evil if he healed him? He didn't think so. But he was not sure why the professor wanted to pick him up if he was just going to leave him? Unless he wanted to take Harry with him and the sandy-haired man. But he knew that he was just being silly. The professor would not want a worthless waste of space such as himself. “Sir?” He whispered.

“You cannot walk, Mr. Potter. You are still injured and we need to have you checked over extensively.” Severus growled softly, wishing that he did not have to attend to the boy currently. He would rather be hexing the large oaf. Hopefully Remus, who had disappeared inside to get Harry's things, would do so for him.

Remus snarled at the large oaf of a man, doing his best to keep his temper. The body-binding hex was all he dared to cast at the moment, after inquiring about the lard's wife and Harry's room. He turned sharp eyes to the small cupboard once more. To think that the child lived in here! There was barely room for his school trunk, let alone the small pile of blankets in the corner. With a growl the normally level-headed man quickly gathered all of the boy's things, what little there was, placing them inside the previously padlocked trunk, before shrinking it down and pocketing it. He turned to leave the cupboard, freezing when he spotted the little sign on the door. Curse those muggles! Alexis would be the _least_ of their worries. He carefully took down the sign that declared this small space as Harry's room, adding it to his pocket before storming out of the cupboard. He turned predatory eyes on the fat walrus, baring his teeth. A swift stinging hex and he strode out the back door, growling curses under his breath. He would get the man later, that was for sure.

Severus gave a small sigh of relief when the child finally nodded, picking the boy up. He turned to look at his friend, eyes narrowing at the anger radiating off of the normally calm werewolf. “Ready, Remus?” He held out a small coin for the wolf to take. Remus did, watching the snarky man swing the child easily onto his hip. Both men checked to make sure that the boy had a good hold on Severus before taking hold of the coin. “Healing.” Severus whispered causing the coin to turn blue and then the three of them disappeared.

Both men landed easily, Severus striding toward one of the beds and setting young Harry upon it. A muttered spell and the boy was asleep. The pestering mediwitch was over instantly, taking charge of the boy and muttering spells of her own. “Shall we?” He asked quietly, not bothering to hide the concern for his partner. They both needed a drink and he knew that Alexis, although she did not drink often, would have just the stuff to help.

“She will not be happy.” Remus growled, fighting back his anger once more. But he nodded anyway. Both men strode toward the fire place and disappeared into it, causing the new Headmistress to scowl at them when they appeared in her living quarters, but only for a moment.

“What happened?” Alexis asked sharply, setting down the parchment that she had been examining. It was going to be a long night.

-x-

Severus did not answer at first, striding to the small cabinet that he knew housed some fine whiskey and brandy. He grabbed the bottle of Odin's and three glasses before stalking back to the coffee table. He deposited the glasses, pouring the fiery liquid into two of them, before dropping gracelessly into his favourite armchair. He then preceded to place his head in his hands, knowing that this was indeed going to be a difficult conversation. Remus had yet to stop pacing, he knew the other man was lost in his own thoughts. “Potter was being abused. He is currently in the Infirmary.” He stated finally, looking up to meet eyes of steel before grabbing his fire whiskey and taking a long sallow of it.

She had known of course, from their behaviour, that it would not be a good discussion. How many other students had been overlooked? “Remus, sit.” Alexis ordered finally, raising an eyebrow at the older man. The werewolf merely dropped into thee chair nearest Severus' own, grabbing the other glass of Odin's. “What do we know of the situation?” She asked sharply, looking between the two men.

“He had several broken ribs, a slight head wound, numerous welts and bruises, as well as a broken leg when we found him.” Severus scowled darkly, wanting desperately to go back and show that muggle _exactly_ what he thought of the oaf.

“He is also severely underweight and...his room was a small cupboard under the stairs.” Remus added darkly, glaring into the depth of his glass.

“I'm sorry, but I believe I heard you incorrectly. Mr. Potter's room is a cupboard?” Alexis drawled, her eyes flashing dangerously.

Severus growled under his breath. Oh yes, did he have quite a few things he wanted to _say_ to the scumbag!

“You heard me correctly, Alexis. Harry has been living in a cupboard. He might have even lived in there for his entire life.” Remus' quite replied was met with an angry hiss from the young witch.

Alexis took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She had seen many abused and neglected children in her line of work. Even after becoming a teacher, she still saw children who had suffered so horribly, because nature could be quite cruel sometimes. Family members were often crueler, she knew for a fact. She also knew what a protector of children might do in a moment of anger or temper. The two men in front of her were protectors of children. They would never hurt a child, but woe be the adults who crossed their paths. Remus had worked as a primary school counselor in muggle England, while Severus was the healer, mind and body, for those damaged children at Hogwarts. She knew her next order would not be taken well, but it needed to be given. “Neither of you are to return to Little Whinging or the Dursleys. I do not need either of you in Azkaban right now. I will deal with those despicable people as soon as I speak with Mr. Potter.” She growled, steel eyes flitting between them.

“Alexis..”

“I will _not_ let those _muggles_ get away with this!” Severus snarled.

“Nor shall they. But we do this legally. They will get what they deserve, Severus. I will not let a family get away with treating their children like trash.” Alexis replied calmly, meeting angry black eyes easily. She knew how he felt, but as Headmistress of this school she would take care of it. “There is, of course, the problem of who will take care of Mr. Potter for the rest of the holidays. He cannot just go stay with a friend, he needs a strong support system and someone who knows how to help him.”

Remus sighed, his anger quickly deflating. They did need to focus on helping Harry, rather than getting revenge for Harry. He met Severus' eyes for a long moment, not even surprised when the dark man nodded. “Severus and I would love to take in Harry. He might not know me yet, but I am sure we can make him part of our growing family.” His soft reply was met with a grin from the feisty newly-minted Headmistress.

“Severus would have to take primary custody but otherwise, that shall work out well. _If_ you do not manage to scare the child to death in the first week!” She glanced at Severus, who merely smirked, and shook her head.That man!

“As you are a part of our 'growing' family, I assume you will make sure of that personally.” Severus drawled, quirking an eyebrow at the young woman. Alexis mouth had dropped open, gray eyes staring at him like he had finally lost his mind. “You will catch flies.” He smirked.

Her jaw had dropped at his statement, mostly out of surprise, but she quickly closed her mouth, sneering at him. She had known, of course, that they had grown closer of the last two years, but she had not realized that they considered her _family_.

Remus was merely watching her, his sharp eyes intent. “That is, of course, if you want to consider us as part of your family.” He added softly, not wanting the young healer to feel pressured.

“Want to? Of course I do!” She snarled, but with not heat. Her eyes shimmered with pleasure for the first time since they had started this conversation. Really, for the first time in over a week. Family, what a foreign concept to a woman whose blood family had tossed her aside like trash. To have those who would be her family...perhaps something good would come from teaching after all.

-x-

Alexis sighed, setting down yet another file. These were not applicants for teaching positions or letters. No, this large stack of files in front of her, and the other two stacks that she had already finished, were the health files on some of her students. The abused or suspected abused students, those that ended up in the infirmary, anyway. These stacks of files, a list of names from each house, and the Heads of those houses own notes and files only covered those that they knew about. The child in the bed beside her had his own medical file, now thick with scans and notes. Eventually she would have to read all of the student files, to assess both grades and health. She'd be damned if Hogwarts would continue to slide further on down, with some of the lowest grades in Europe. No, Hogwarts was going to change. She needed healing and She would be healed. It appalled her that some of her students could not even read on their year level! And yet, nothing had been done to change that. No, students had merely been expected to just pick up reading easily. No more. One class devoted entirely to reading and writing the Queen's own English. Teacher assistants to help with all classes; new subjects to add variety and understanding; a rewards and consequences system for grades; a new house system....Hogwarts was going to change, many of the changes already in process. Helping Her most vulnerable and hurting children was going to be a major part of those changes.

She finally glanced up from her reading and musings when the nearby boy groaned, starting to wake up. A quick glance of the timepiece told her that it was nearing two in the morning. The pain potions had probably worn off. With a quick tap of her wand the files, all but one, vanished. She would recall the ones that she had yet to finish when the boy was asleep once more. Alexis strode the short distance from her armchair to the child's bed. A slight wand movement and she cast yet another diagnostic spell on the boy.

Harry groaned, he hurt so much. He was sore all over, like an elephant had stepped on him. If he was honest with himself, an elephant probably did. But he did not hurt as much as he did before he went outside. He didn't think that he was still outside though. He had just been lying there and then.... _Shit._ Emerald green eyes flew open to meet steel gray.

“Welcome back to the land of the living, Mr. Potter.”

That was _not_ the potions master. He knew the woman, from sight at least. She taught...healing? He had planned to take that class next year, knowing that it would be useful. She sounded so much like Snape though. Ugh, his head hurt so much. “Professor?” He croaked

“You are at Hogwarts, Mr. Potter, in the Infirmary. You have been here for quite a few hours now. Do you remember how you came to be here?” Alexis asked sharply, studying the boy closely. His wounds were healing nicely. Severus had made a fresh batch of a bruise salve for him, a few more applications and the results of his latest beating would be gone. His ribs were healed completely as was his leg. But the child had quite a few old breaks that had healed badly. Poppy had re-broken and fixed the bones, his arm was still in the healing process.

“Snape and this other man came to my relatives and brought me back here. Where's Professor Dumbledore?” Harry frowned, trying to _not_ remember. Snape had healed him, had helped him. But the man probably hadn't wanted to. He was just a bother, a waste of time. That was it. The headmaster had probably ordered Snape to heal him. But then, why was he here? He would just be sent back to the Dursleys and it would be so much worse.

“ _Professor_ Snape, Mr. Potter. Now, I'm going to check over your arm. Is that alright?” Alexis replied sternly, frowning down at the small child. From her own spells she knew that the boy was severely underweight and malnourished, anemic even. She was aware that his arm was hurting him, but she also knew from experience that the child would probably not mention it unless she asked.

Harry frowned, confused. Why was she asking? Madam Pomfery never asked to check him over, she just did it. Even if he did not want her to or if he didn't want to be touched. But perhaps Professor...Monheilem? Perhaps she was different, like Snape. Snape had also asked him for permission to touch him. It was just...strange. With that last thought he gave a small nod, trying to sit up.

“Lie still, Mr. Potter. You are still healing and it would do no good to cause more harm to yourself.” She ordered sternly, placing a gentle hand on the injured arm. She muttered softly in Latin, causing parts of the arm to glow briefly. Closing her eyes, she sent her magic into the child's arm, shaping it to finish healing the breaks and to strengthen the weak bones. With her hand still on the child's arm, she sent her magic flowing throughout his body, adding just a touch of calming magic. She finally sighed, releasing her flow of magic and removing her hand. “Are you in pain, Mr. Potter?” She asked quietly, wordlessly summoning a pain potion. She already knew that he was but she wanted to see if he would answer her.

Harry looked away from the Professor, biting his lip. He wasn't suppose to say anything, he was just suppose to deal with the pain. He knew that. But he was not allowed to lie either. He glared at the wall, finally giving the tiniest of nods. He didn't actually _say_ anything, so perhaps his uncle wouldn't punish him for it when he was returned to his relatives house. Their house, because it was not his home. Not really. Hogwarts, though, now this was a place he could call home. But only for most of the year. He gave a small sighed, flinching when the bed was raised up and a potion's vial held out to him.

Alexis frowned. She had not meant to startle the boy, but perhaps he had been lost in his thoughts and did not notice her lifting the bed up so that he could sit. He did need the potion, after all, and she did need to have a chat with him. One that she was _not_ looking forward to. “Drink this Harry.” She growled when the boy merely stared at the vial that she was trying to give him. He finally took it, eyeing the potion before downing it. “Good boy. Now, I believe we need to talk.” She added quietly, summoning her armchair. She sat down in it, meeting wide emerald eyes.

“Professor?”

“You asked me a question Harry, and I will answer you honestly. However, I would be pleased if you would do the same for me.” She stated, sighing when he merely stared at her in confusion. “You asked me about Professor Dumbledore, and I will tell you. But I also want to ask you a few questions and I would like you to be completely honest with me.” She explained slowly. Merlin.

“W-what do you want to k-know?” Harry stared down at his lap, stumbling over his words. He was not supposed to ask questions and he knew that he was not allowed to tell about the Dursleys. But what else could she want? _They know and now they will all know how much of a worthless freak I am and they'll send me back and he'llhurtme and.._

“Mr. Potter!” The sharp tone brought him quickly from his thoughts and he gasped, suddenly filling his lungs with air.

“If you do not calm yourself, Mr. Potter, I will be forced to give you a calming draft.” Alexis stated briskly, eyeing the child. _Or some calming magic._ The boy was working himself up over nothing. She hadn't even started her questioning yet! But she did know where the child's mind had gone. He was frightened, it was to be expected.

“Sorry, Professor.” He replied softly, staring down at his lap. He was such a burden, he knew that. She probably just wanted to question him so that she could tell Dumbledore and send him back. Fine then. He'd tell her what she wanted.

“You have nothing to apologize for Mr. Potter. I understand that your situation is tough, so I have just a few questions at the moment. But I do want you to know that you can come to me at any time, for anything.” She replied with a much gentler tone. Shocked green eyes looked up at her and she sighed. It never got easier, seeing the pain in a child's eyes. Not at all.

Harry merely nodded, staring at the woman. She did not even know him, she must not realize that he was a freak yet. But she would, just like all the adults in the Muggle world had.

“Mr. Potter, does your Uncle...hurt you?”

“No, Professor. I fell.” He lied, looking down. She had been nice to him, but he knew better than to answer. She'd just think he was lying anyway.

“I see. Tell me Mr. Potter, how is it that you managed to break three ribs and your leg in this fall? That is not to mention the interesting marks and scars that cover your body. Did you also fall then?” She growled. Merlin, she hated being lied to. Especially about something that she could clearly see. “I am no fool, Harry. I know a beating when I see one.” She added softly.

“I deserved it.” He muttered, glaring at the bed. He had too. He forgotten to clean the mirror in the upstairs bathroom and he had not managed to finish the yard in time. It was his fault, he knew this.

“I doubt that.” She drawled. “No child deserves to be beaten, for any reason. Nor does any child deserve to sleep in a _cupboard_.” The boy paled quickly and she grimaced. Perhaps that had not be the right thing to say, but it was the truth and the child needed to know it.

“It is what a good for nothing freak deserves.” Harry stated, the words flat and emotionless.

“No, Harry. It is not. You are not a freak and you do not deserve to be abused, no matter what your relatives told you.” Her quiet reply was met with flashing green eyes. Good, some emotion was better than none.

“I am not ABUSED!” He shouted.

“Yes, Mr. Potter, you were. But you will not be any longer.”

He glared at her for a moment before gasping. “What d-do you mean-n?”

“You will not be returning to your _relatives_ , Harry. You will stay at Hogwarts and you will have new guardians, but that can be discussed tomorrow.” She replied gently, knowing that the news was a lot for a child to take in, and to believe.

“But Professor McGonagall said I couldn't stay at Hogwarts! She said it wasn't allowed!” Harry argued angrily. He didn't want her to trick him! She seemed so nice, but he couldn't believe her. He just couldn't. After all, wasn't it the Headmaster's decision and not hers? Where was the Headmaster anyway? Dumbledore would never let him stay.

“Professor McGonagall is no longer employed at Hogwarts. She was wrong. It is allowed for students to stay at the castle during the summer if their home situations are undesirable or if there is a reason for them to. It has just not been put into practice in the last few decades, but that changes now.” Her dry response left a green-eyed boy staring at her with an open mouth. “You'll catch flies.” She drawled, refraining from smirking at the child. He didn't need that right now.

Harry's mouth snapped close. But it couldn't be true? McGonagall gone? And surely Dumbledore wouldn't let him? “But the Headmaster-”

“Is dead.” Alexis cut off, sighing. That was not how she meant to tell the child, but he needed to stop worrying so.

“What? But then...why did Professor Snape come check on me?” Harry asked, eyes wide. Dumbledore, dead? But why? How? Why was the professor telling him this?

“Calm down and I will tell you, Mr. Potter. Professor Dumbledore passed away about two weeks ago, peacefully in his sleep. He was old, even for a Wizard.” There was no need for any of the children at Hogwarts to know more than that, none at all. “Hogwarts decided to choose a new Headmistress from those who remained. I believe Her goal was to choose someone who would help in healing this castle. I am the new Headmistress, Mr. Potter. I have the power to remove you from the _loving_ care of you relatives and place you with new guardians. I will not allow you to return to the house. Now, it is late and you need to sleep.” She drawled, hiding her amusement at the child's open expressions. “We can talk more in the morning, Harry.” She added at his hesitation.

“Yes Professor.” He muttered, taking the vial that she had just summoned. He hesitated before drinking it, raising his eyes to meet hers. “Professor?” At her raised eyebrow, he gave a small smile. “Thank you.” He whispered, downing the dreamless sleep potion. He had a lot to think about later but for now, he was tired. He felt the bed being lowered again and a blanket being tucked around him.

“Goodnight Mr. Potter.” She brushed the child's hair away from his eyes, ignoring the small flinch. In a matter of moments he was asleep. Alexis moved back to her table, summoning the rest of the files once more. She still had work to do. Hopefully at least one of her students might be on the path to healing this summer. Although, she might need to get the child a mindhealer.


	3. Changes

“You will wear a path in your floor, Alexis. Think of how the poor house elves will feel.” The calm voice belonged to a tall, lanky man who lounged in one of the plump armchairs with ease. His brown hair was short, his brown eyes sharp, catching every movement.

“Shut up Tim.” Alexis growled, but dropped easily into the chair across from the older man's. Tim was a good friend of hers, he had guided her when she attempted her mastery. He was also one of the most renown mind-healers in Europe. “Have you decided whether to accept my offer yet?” She added causally, turning gray eyes to meet his.

“I have. I need a few...clarifications first and I have a few requests, if that is alright.” Tim replied eventually, watching the younger woman carefully. She had once been his student, now she wanted to employ him. How the world changed in just a few short years.

Alexis merely raised an eyebrow at him, drumming her fingers on the arm of the chair. The house elf that popped in was not as startling as it had been her first night in these quarters.

“Headmistress Professor Miss need something?” The little elf inquired with a bow.

“A tea tray would be nice, Minzi.” She smiled at the small being, her fingers still drumming away. The house elf popped away and reappeared with a tray of tea and biscuits, before sending the young Headmistress a look.

“Headmistress needs to be kind to the furnishings!” The elf scolded, wagging a finger at the young woman.

Alexis had the decency to blush and stopped her tapping. “I apologize, Minzi. I was...distracted.” The elf merely nodded and popped away. “Wonderful little blithers.” She muttered, frowning at the chuckling older man. “Well? Your questions, Tim? I do have a school to run.” Alexis snapped, snatching a cup of tea.

“Calm, Alexis.” Tim raised an eyebrow of his own, picking up the other teacup. “You requested my presence as a mind-healer for the school, or even as head of a team of mind-healers. I will not be teaching, yes? My sole focus will be on helping and supporting the staff and students?” His quiet question echoed in the silent, large chambers.

She hesitated for a moment, mulling over the list of things still to do. She had already hired a Professor for the Healing course, as well as his apprentice. Hogwarts already had a mediwitch, but the students vastly outnumbered all of the current staff. If each Head of House had to be healer, parent, friend, and teacher to only their students, it was still odds of 100 to 1. Even adding in the secondary Heads did not lessen the amount of students in each house, nor the fact that there was an influx of incoming students this year. A team of Mind Healers, especially after this last battle, would help greatly. Even the staff could use more support. With that final thought, she nodded. “You are correct. Neither you nor your team will be required to teach, although your team is more than welcome to help Poppy explain health and puberty as well as giving a talk or two to each house on the reason we have Mind Healers. To heal minds, of course, but also as an extra sounding board for the student who just doesn't want to talk to their Heads of House.”

Tim smiled at the young woman, this role was good for her. And good for Hogwarts. This was one woman who he knew would risk her own life before letting anything happen to her students. “Good. Then I can accept your terms and my team will be here no later than August 20th. However, I have two requests. The first you have suggested. I would prefer to be the primary Healer to Mr. Potter and the more severe cases that are found. I find it hard to believe that in a school of over 400, only seven Slytherins and three Ravenclaws harm themselves. I find it harder to believe that there are only two known Anorexics and both of them happen to be on staff.” He remarked quietly, watching her pale slightly.

“It was not something that I first considered, but you are right, of course. It is odd. That, or we are extremely lucky. But in a school of teenage hormones and preteen drama...I do not believe we could be that lucky. I accept that request. Your second?” Alexis met his eyes for a moment before turning her gaze toward the window. She had a guess to what the second request was and she was also quite sure that she would not be able to deny him.

“As you said, the staff also need support. I would like to be the Healer in charge of the staff, body and mind, although I will work with Poppy. That means that I would prefer to be your healer, and Severus', again. Of course, if you have valid objections to it, I am willing to find you a good Healer. But my Healers Oath will not allow me to watch two of my new colleagues suffer so, just as your Healers Oath does not let you ignore hurting children.” Tim watched her closely, noting how quickly the young woman stilled. If he was to help Hogwarts, he first had to help Hogwarts' Headmistress.

“You will have to ask Severus, but I accept that request also.” She replied finally, having found her voice again. Tim was not easily fooled, quite unlike Poppy. Tim also knew her well, he had trained her to be a touch Healer and had taken her as a patient after Albus had...found her. But she needed him here, at Hogwarts. Because as much as she would deny it, she needed the help. Hogwarts needed healing and she planned to hire the best people to heal Her.

-x-

A few hours later found her, once more, in the infirmary. She was in the same armchair as the night before, sorting through a different stack of files. Academic records, this time. Remus was sitting nearest to her, his reading the newest Defense textbooks. He had yet to find one that he liked for his fourth years. Severus, however, was pacing the length of the infirmary, stopping from time to time to stare out over the grounds. Alexis finally glared at him, looking up from her perusal of one rather dismal folder. “Will you please sit? It is quite distracting.” She growled, arching a brow at him. Severus huffed but dropped gracefully back into his own seat, returning to his Potions periodical. She glared at him for a moment longer before turning back to the folder in front of her. She would swear that this child, a fourth year!, was failing nearly every class. There were even copies of some of his assignments and all of these were illegible. He was either dumber than rocks or perhaps he had difficulty learning. She made a mark on the file and set it in one pile. She had quite a few piles on the table. Some for behaviour problems, others for poor grades, and some for the Newt and Owl students. The rising fifth and seventh years all had their own pile, this was their major exam years after all. Her rising second through fourth years, the ones that did not need further investigation, went into another pile, as did the rising sixth years. She picked up yet another fourth year folder, flipped it open and groaned.

“Problems, Alexis?” Severus purred, lowering his magazine slightly.

“How does a child receive zeros on _every_ assignment in five classes? Not even on the exams, but the assignments. Do they just decide that it is not worthwhile to turn in their homework?” She grumbled, shooting him a look.

Severus raised an eyebrow at that statement. He knew that he had given several students zeros on assignments repeatedly, but always well deserved zeros. And he was one of the hardest teachers in the school. “What is this student passing?”

“Divination. Herbology, and History of Magic, although I would discount the last one. Hopefully having a living teacher will not scare the students too badly in that class.”She replied, scanning through the documents quickly. “The assignments she turned in for Herbology and Divination seem well written, so it is not, perhaps, a learning difficulty. I'm sure you will remember this student, Severus. You, along with Filius _and_ Vector, commented that she turned in blank pieces of parchment more often than not.” She scanned the sheets of notes, before setting the folder aside to be addressed later.

“Ms. Lansiken, then. A fourth year Gryffindor. McGonagall must not have had rules for homework as Filius and I do.” Severus scowled, glaring at the wall for a moment before glancing back toward the sleeping child. “You mentioned new plans yesterday. Care to elaborate?” He added quietly, turning back to face her. Remus had also set down his work, turning his golden gaze on the younger healer.

“The way that Ravenclaw and Slytherin are run currently, works well. Both Houses need a secondary Head of House, however. Charity has already begged to help with Hufflepuff and Pomona agreed. Filius has asked to take one of the newest Professors, for some reason he wants to engage in a 'literary debate' with her. Which leaves Slytherin with several choices.” She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. A glance at the still sleeping child and she continued. “Both Gryffindor and Hufflepuff had little in place in the way of rules. Hufflepuff follows the creed of harm none and although Hufflepuffs are the least likely to be out after curfew, they are still without a clear system of rewards and consequences. Gryffindor has no rules, at all. The students only have to follow the school rules, and they rarely do that. Gryffindors are used to getting away with everything, but all houses need to be treated equally. Honestly, I'd rather just abolish the house system completely, but as that would add a bit of mayhem and confusion, it needs to be altered a bit. I am, however, abolishing the stupid House Cup.”

“What?!”

“That gives the students nothing to strive for, no reason to behave. You will cause madness, Alexis.” Severus snarled, raising an eyebrow at the woman. Clearly she had a plan. But he was not sure if years of ingrained training could be changed overnight.

“A 'friendly' house competition is not necessary. The students need to learn to work together, and not try to sabotage each other because of house affiliation. All students need to be treated equally, but with the house points system that does not happen. Other Heads are more likely to take points for lesser infractions from houses that are not theirs, rather that punish their house by taking points. It is almost more of a competition of who has the better behaved house. If that were the case, Hufflepuff would always win. They might have few rules, but those children are too afraid of their own shadows to so much as risk the wrath of anyone. They neither loses points nor do they often gain them. Gryffindors break every school rule and yet they rarely lose the House Cup. It is an unfair system and it needs to go. There will be incentive to behave, however. How do you feel about Field Trips, Remus?” She smirked at both of the staring men, shaking her head. Perhaps her system was different and perhaps it would not work, but she'd be damned, they were going to at least try it.

“Field trips?” Remus gawped at her for a moment before getting a hold of himself. She was talking about abolishing the entire points system! It was just unheard of. But she did have a point. One that was a bit...tough to hear. To think of how corrupt the points system really was, at least under Dumbledore. “I enjoy field trips. Why?” He replied finally.

“Good. Third year students and up have Hogsmeade privileges. First and Second years do not. Educational field trips rarely, if ever, happen. In class misbehaviour should result in detention or a warning. If you have students flinging hexes or throwing random ingredients into cauldrons, sending them to a corner should quickly quell that behaviour. At least for the younger ones. Good behaviour and good grades will result in a reward point. If we broke the students up by year group, while still allowing them to live in separate houses, we can have a different points system. Instead of losing points, the year group will try as one to gain points. A certain amount of points will result in a reward, either a field trip, an outing, a movie and pizza night, a year level party...the list goes on. The students will not lose points but neither will these points be given easily. A year group that all has E's and O's will be able to go on an outing, whereas a year group with only A's and D's will not. Each grade, per a subject not an assignment, that is an A or above will result in a point. Too many poor grades will result in no points and a ban from such outings until the student's grades improve. The House system will work much the same. With rewards for good behaviour and consequences for rule breaking. It is a much fairer system to all involved.” Alexis grinned at their expressions, well Remus' anyway, for a moment before turning her eyes to the little boy. “Mr. Potter, good of you to join us.” She added sternly, standing and moving over to the boy. “I trust that you will not repeat any of what you heard to your classmates.”

Harry gulped, staring up into warm gray eyes. “I won't, Professor.” He rasped, grimacing at the pain in his throat. He tried to sit up but the professor gently pushed him back against the bed, lifting up the back of the bed so that he was supported in sitting. He gasped suddenly, meeting the black orbs of his potions professor. He had not known that was who the...Headmistress had been speaking to! Snape and the sandy-hair man.

“Calm down, Mr. Potter. Professors Snape and Lupin will not harm you. They are actually here to speak with you. Now, if I may cast a quick diagnostic spell, I shall leave you three.” Alexis stated briskly, watching the small boy with a frown. The green-eyed child merely nodded, still gaping at his Potions Professor. Alexis shook her head, casting the charm easily. She nodded at the results, glancing toward the two men, who had stood and were walking slowly toward the bed.

“You will catch flies, Mr. Potter.” Severus intoned, biting back a smirk when the child's mouth snapped shut. He met Alexis eyes for a moment, raising an eyebrow.

“You still need much rest Mr. Potter and some more of this salve. I'm sure these two men will help you with it. I will just be in Madam Pomferry's office if needed.” Alexis replied to Severus' silent question, directing the last bit at the child himself. At the boy's nod she flicked her wand, causing her files to follow her out of the room, into the office.

-x-

Remus summoned two chairs, watching the young teen. The child did not look twelve, he looked closer to seven or eight. “Hello Harry.” He remarked softly, settling down into his chair. Severus sat beside him in silence and he knew the man would do his best for this boy. They both would.

“Professors.” Harry replied politely, frowning at the two men. Why did they want to speak to him? He hadn't done anything, had he? Perhaps Professor Mondheilig, wasn't that her name? Perhaps she had told them...but they had found him. So they knew what a freak he was. _Nonono. Please don't kick me out. Please. Nonononononono..._

“Mr. Potter!” Severus snapped, grabbing Remus' wrist. The child would only fear them more if they touched him without his permission. Surely Remus remembered this! He had dealt with abused children before, but perhaps it was a need to do something that had caused his partner to reach out. “Calm down, you silly child. We will not harm you! We will not allow harm to come to you!” He snarled, but without menace. He needed the boy to listen to him. Startled, wide green eyes met his for a moment and the child stopped shaking so violent. He also started breathing again, thank Merlin.

Harry took a deep breath, turning his eyes to his Potions Professor. The man was calm, watching him like a hawk. But he oozed safety and calm. Wait, did he say...”Professor?” He whispered.

“We will not allow anyone to harm you, Harry. Remus and I will protect you. You will not be returning to your relatives, so get that foolish thought out of that little head of yours.” Severus scowled at the boy, absentmindedly patting Remus' hand. The boy was gawking at them again, gaping like a fish out of water!

“Harry?” Remus questioned softly, relaxing slightly beside Severus. That man could always calm him down, calm the wolf and bring him back to thinking, instead of acting on instinct. This pup did not know them yet, he would startle easily still.

Harry stared at Snape for a moment before glancing at the other man. His eyes, however, caught sight of their hands and his mouth dropped open. His Potions Professor was being gentle and reassuring to the strange man! He couldn't help it, he knew he was gaping but this was just...unexpected. He knew Professor Snape was human and had emotion, but to see him being so calm and _loving_ it was just...shocking.

“Kindly stop staring, Mr. Potter.” Severus ordered finally, following the boy's gaze to his and Remus' now locked hands. “Remus and I have decided to take over your guardianship, if you would be alright with that Mr. Potter.” He added. They had decided to let the boy call them by their given names and to explain some things to the child. For one, he needed to understand the seriousness of certain rules, so knowing that Remus was a werewolf would enforce that. And secondly, well in the muggle world, it was not quite acceptable to have two...male guardians just yet.

Harry gaped at them again, turning to stare at the other professor. Warm, golden eyes met his with a smile. “But why? Why would you want a freak like me?” He burst out, gazing frantically between the two men.

Well that was slightly unexpected. He had expected the boy to ask why them, but not why _him_. Oh how he wished he could go after those muggles! “Harry James! You are not a freak! You are a good boy who has been treated badly. We would love to have you as our child.” Remus replied gently. The child stared at him for a moment and suddenly started sobbing.

Severus cursed silently, hesitating for a moment before lifting the child out of his bed and onto his lap. The boy fought him for a moment, but he merely wrapped his arms around Harry, rubbing the child's back. The green-eyed monster relaxed for a moment before clinging to him. Remus moved slightly, reaching over to rub the child's back and brush his hair away from his face. “Shh Harry. It is alright child. Calm yourself. I know it is much to take it, but you are not a freak nor are you bad. You are a good boy. Such a good boy.” Severus murmured into the child's ear, hoping the words would calm the child. It seemed to work.

Harry hiccuped, his sobs slowing. They wanted him. _Him._ No one had ever wanted him before. It was so...weird feeling. But his professors wanted him! As their child. It might be a trick but both men had seemed honest and Professor Snape was being nice. _Once they see how big of a freak you are, they won't want you anymore._ Harry scowled at his inner thoughts, resolving to be the best, well behaved child ever. He soaked up the comfort for several more moments, before shifting on the professor's lap. He tried to move but Snape merely kept an arm around him, moving him so that he could see both of the older men. Harry ducked his head, staring at his lap. Crying like a baby! They probably wouldn't want him now. A gentle finger pulled his chin up and he was staring into dark orbs.

“No need to be embarrassed, Harry. We all cry sometimes.” Severus remarked softly, conjuring a handkerchief and gently wiping the child's face. To his credit, Harry only flinched once.

“Yes Harry, we want you. If you will have us as your guardians.” Remus added quietly, deciding not to mention that they were planning to adopt the child.

“Of course, Professors!” Harry grinned briefly before looking back down. To have a home, a real home, even temporarily would be a good change from the Dursley's. “I'll work hard and be good! You won't even know I'm there!”

Severus bit back a sigh, looking down at the mess of black hair. For a child to automatically accept them without question...that said much about Harry's past. Alexis was right, she often was in cases like this. Harry would probably need a mind healer and Tim would be best for the job. “You will not have to work for us Harry. We do not want a child that is invisible. We want a child who behaves and sometimes gets into mischief as children often do. We will spend most of the summer here at Hogwarts, but we might be able to visit our house for a week or two.” He remarked dryly, arching an eyebrow at Remus.

Remus bit back a grimace but gave Severus a small nod. “There are, however, a few things you should know before you decide to accept us, Harry. Severus and I are partners. I am also...a werewolf.” He stated quietly, watching shocked eyes meet his. He knew it, knew that the child would not be able to accept him. It never occurred to him that his wolf nature was not what surprised the boy.

“You're partners? Like _partner_ partners?!” Harry gasped. That explained the hand holding and the looks they sent each other. Uncle Vernon would have a fit to know he was going to live with...what did Uncle call them? Fairies? He was going to live with fairies! He giggled into his hands suddenly.

The child was told that he would be living with his potions master and a werewolf, and yet he starts giggling? Because they were partners? Severus chuckled, catching Remus' shocked expression. He knew that the werewolf bit would not be a problem.

Harry looked up in shock. The strong chest that he was leaning against was rumbling and the Professor was...laughing. He had never heard Professor Snape laugh! See? He told Ron that Snape was human! “Professor?”

“Severus.” He replied, looking down at the child.

Harry gaped at him for a moment. “Sir?”

“When we are not in class, you may call me Severus. And you may call him Remus.” Severus explained slowly, smirking at the gaping Gryffindor.

“You do not have a problem with me being a Werewolf, Harry?” Remus asked quietly, not yet daring to believe it.

“Of course not Prof- Remus. Why would I?” Harry cocked his head, staring at the Professor in confusion.

“In our world, Werewolves are looked down upon by many wizards, although the person is at no fault for being a werewolf. They did not ask to be bitten.” Severus scorned, making his opinion on the topic quite clear. His lover met his eyes with a grateful look. “Werewolves are much like gays in the muggle world. They are treated much the same.” He added in explanation at the confused expression of the boy.

“Gays, Professor... Severus? Is that what Uncle calls Faeries?” Harry asked, turning his head to look at the Professor again. It was much harder to call his professor by his given name than it was to call the other man. He did not know the other man well, but he had known Professor Snape for a long time!

“Although your disgusting Uncle leaves much to be desired, yes. In the muggle world we are referred to as that by some closed minded fools. You cannot tell anyone that Remus is a werewolf, Harry. But it is perfectly fine to mention that we are your guardians.” Severus sighed, wishing briefly that the child was a bit older. But he quelled that thought quickly. If Harry was older, he would be harder to reach. At least he was still a child, still willing to accept being treated like a child. “And now, Mr. Potter, let's get you back into bed so that we can take care of those bruises of yours.” He intoned sternly.

Harry merely clutched tiredly to him, refusing to budge even when Severus stood up. He wrapped his arms and legs tightly around the man, grinning impishly.

“Are you a monkey, Mr. Potter?” Severus scowled, teasing the child. He did glare at Remus, of course that man would have a magical camera hidden on his person! He glared at the camera before glancing down at the cheeky boy. “Come now, Harry. I know your body aches.” He added gently.

The child finally loosen his grip, allow Severus to maneuver him back onto the bed. He gasped when he was rolled onto his stomach and the hospital gown pushed aside but stilled as the cold, gentle hands started rubbing the warm salve into his skin. He squeaked when it was rubbed into his still sore body, relaxing when the soreness quickly faded. In short order he was rolled back over and tucked under the covers once more.

“Good boy.” Severus murmured, brushing the unruly hair out of the boy's eyes. Perhaps it was time for a hair cut.

“If you are well enough, Harry, we will take you shopping tomorrow and then move you into our quarters.” Remus added quietly, watching the small boy's eyes start to flutter close, even as the boy fought back a yawn.

“Back to sleep, brat. We will be here when you wake.” Severus ordered quietly, smirking when the boy finally did fall asleep. He turned silently to his partner and opened his arms. Remus was in them within a second and he hugged the wolf tightly to himself. They could do this. They would do this. This child needed healing and he had already stolen both of their hearts.

-x-


	4. One Step at a Time

The young healer sighed, pacing the length of her quarters. She tended to do that often of late. It was slightly calming but it also helped her to process her thoughts better. She had finally, _finally_ , finished sorting through all of the student records, including the current detention files. _After_ firing the caretaker. A man who hated children so much should _not_ be allowed to work with them, not at all. Sometimes she wondered precisely what Dumbledore had been thinking, for there were clearly situations in which he hadn't been thinking, at all! If he wasn't dead...but he was. And the last time she had hexed his portrait, early this morning actually, the damn fool had threatened to tell Tim. Like her old mentor would have any control over her. As he was currently sitting in the chair that he now claimed, sorting through the pile of files she had handed him, perhaps he did have a little bit of influence.

“We will need someone to check on each of these children, if not all of the known cases. I can assign a member of my team to each house and have them split the larger pile with the current staff in residence. It would help if the child knew the person checking on them, but if that is not possible, there are other ways of going about this. These ten are critical, as well as having someone check on each muggleborn and raised on this list.” The older, brown haired healer remarked finally. Tim held the piece of parchment out to the younger healer, moving the files around a bit. They were separated into piles, depending on the severity of each known case. The very worst cases, fifteen files in total, were marked with a green dot and moved to her side of the table. Ten students who should not be residing in their homes and five who possibly needed to be removed. That, of course, did not count the students Albus had already remove, they were a separate pile, one that also needed checking up on.

“If possible, all of these children need a visit, to make sure that they are safe.” Alexis sighed, scanning the list quickly. Visiting nearly eighty children was not the problem, not really. It was more of what to do with those children if they did need to be removed from their homes. There was no way to find _good_ foster families for all of those children. All raising first year muggleborn and raised children would be getting a visit soon, with their letters and explanations. The teachers who did those visits would be asked to discreetly check each child for signs of abuse. The younger muggleborns, the ones not quite old enough for Hogwarts, would also need a visit soon. It might help their families to know now, instead of later, that the child was magical. It would also help screen for abuse. But what to do with the children? Summer school, although good for first years, would not make many of the older students happy unless they wanted to learn more and get ahead, or desperately needed the added lessons. The children could stay at Hogwarts but idle hands caused much trouble and mischief. As well as not having quite enough staff to watch them if they were everywhere, all at once. Perhaps...”Summer camp.” She remarked suddenly, grey eyes sparking at the thought.

“Summer camp?” Tim raised an eyebrow, glancing up from the file he was reading over again.

“What do we do with children who have been abused and neglected? We cannot let them run free nor do the staff particularly want to give up their own summer break. But what child does not enjoy a holiday camp? And how many abused children would get to go to one? We can turn Hogwarts into a camp. It's perfect!” She exclaimed, smirking at the older healer.

Tim merely chuckled, shaking his head. “You will have to run the idea by the staff as well as finding counselors to help with them, although I can help with that. Housing them will not be hard, I'd imagine that Hogwarts has a cluster of unused rooms that the house elves will gladly clean and will be perfect for bunking children by age. The older ones might not like the idea too much, but I'm sure there could be something there for them.” He replied quietly, thinking it over quickly. It was a good idea, a solid idea. And it could work well.

-x-

The child was finally awake and dressed in his school robes. They would have to buy him clothes today. Severus watched Harry for several moments, as the boy pushed around his food. Clearly the child was not used to regular meals, even after two years at Hogwarts. They were still in the hospital wing, Poppy had promised to release the boy as soon as he had eaten. “Eat, Mr. Potter.” He growled finally, ignoring Remus' pointed look.

Harry groaned, taking another small bite of the food. He wasn't really hungry, he was never hungry. He didn't see why he had to eat, it wasn't like he could eat at the Dursleys. He finally pushed his plate away, green eyes pleading. He couldn't eat anymore, he'd be sick if he did.

Remus sighed, glancing at the half eaten meal. The child's stomach was shrunken, he would have to start eating a little more at each meal. Although it didn't help that neither of his guardians ate very much. That would change now. He did not have a choice, in the past, over whether he could eat or not. But now that he was here, with constant meals and surrounded by Severus, he would be healthy once more. As would his partner, if he had anything to say about it. “Alright Harry, it's alright. We understand that you cannot stomach much food right now. With time and good nutrition, you should be able to eat more. But it will take time.” He replied calmly, vanishing the plate. “ And now, I believe, the three of us can head to London.”

-x-

London. They were in _London._ And determined to buy him a new wardrobes. As well as toys. _Toys!_ He was nearly thirteen! He didn't need toys. Well...the quidditch action figures were quite cool and many of the boys in his dorm had them...but surely twelve was too old for toys! He had never had toys, no reason to start now. Harry sighed, running his fingers through his, now much shorter, hair. Professor Snape had dragged him to a muggle barber and demanded that his hair was made less wild. The barber had worked magic, his hair actually laid flat! Although he doubted that would last for very long. But now they were in yet another muggle clothes store. The last one had been for shoes. He didn't quite understand why he needed three pairs of trainers and two pairs of dress shoes. He was used to wearing the same pair of trainers all the time, no reason to change that now.

Severus bit back a growl, surveying the preteen. The boy was driving him insane, completely insane. And not just his put out over not being allowed to buy his own clothes. He was twelve for Merlin's sake! What twelve year old worried about the price of new trainers? But no, they could not have a normal child. They had to get the one who only wanted to buy the cheapest, poorly made clothing and shoes. “You may choose any ten shirts, as long as they are not vulgar. “ He barked finally, meeting green eyes with his own dark orbs. The child did seem to relax a bit, rummaging through the racks of t-shirts. Thankfully, Remus had already chosen the boy's trousers, pants, and socks. As well as some nice button downs, but they wanted the child to have clothes to play in and get dirty in. He was a boy, after all. He was bound to get dirty just by going outside. When the boy finally picked out the required number of shirts, Severus gave a relieved sigh. It took the child long enough and they still had to go to Diagon to get new school clothes and formal robes, as well as some playthings and books for the child. Oh, how he hated shopping!

The trip to get new robes took longer than he had hoped. Of course, Alexis had glared at him this morning and thrust a pouch into Severus' hand with the instructions to get Remus new robes, for teaching and everyday wear. He had tried to argue that but the young woman had merely raised an eyebrow and snarled something about kindness repaid. He chuckled at that thought, shifting through the collection of swatches and colours. Black teaching robes were a must but Severus had demanded that he get something colourful for a 'night on the town'. He finally settled on two colours, pointing them out to the salesman. Madam Malkins was great for school robes but not so much for grown wizards. And since Severus frequented this robes store, the owner knew him well. Which meant they were treated well. Thankfully, the younger man had decided to take Harry to the nearby bookstore, so he could buy clothing in private. There was no need for the child to know that his wizarding robes were threadbare and falling to pieces. His muggle clothing was in much better shape, but he had lived in the muggle world until a few weeks prior.

Severus growled, stalking down the clustered aisles of the bookstore. He could not find that blasted child! He had told him to find a few books and meet him at the counter in twenty minutes. That was nearly an hour ago! Granted, he had also gotten distracted by some new potions research but still! He billowed around a corner and stopped short. The child was sitting on the floor in a small corner, nearly invisible because of the pile of books surrounding him. “Those books had all better not be about Quidditch, Mr. Potter.” He drawled suddenly, causing the child to jump. He bit back a smirk, surveying the pile of books.

Harry grimaced, looking up. He had completely lost track of time and he knew he was in trouble. But the professor didn't seem that angry at all. He looked at the floor, or well the bit he could see, instead of meeting the professor's eyes. The books weren't all on Quidditch. He had found quite a few adventure books as well as some interesting books on defense and healing. There was also, of course, a 'Marvin the Mad Muggle' comic tossed in there. Not that he actually liked those comics, but the other boys swore by them. “They're not, Professor.” He muttered, pulling himself off the floor. He picked up two of the books, no way was he going to be allowed to get all of them!, and turned to go.

“Harry, you may get as many books as you like.” Severus stated quietly, carefully resting a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. To the child's credit, he barely flinched, but then he had seen him move. It would take time to gain the child's trust but he had hope that it could be done. When the boy merely shrugged he sighed, summoning the pile of books. He sorted through them quickly, pulling out a horrid comic, before holding the books out to the boy. He summoned another comic book and added it to the pile, raising an eyebrow at the child who still refused to look at him. “You may have all of these, Mr. Potter. Now kindly take them before my arm falls off.” He drawled.

Harry glanced up, biting back a giggle. His professor was quite funny sometimes. He took the pile of books, shifting the stack of books until it felt secure and comfortable. His eyes, however, were automatically drawn to the comic on top. “Professor?” He asked quietly, meeting the man's eyes with confused green orbs. He had not picked up this comic, nor had he seen it before. It did look much more interesting that 'Marvin' though.

Severus smirked at the boy, holding up the Marvin the Mad Muggle comic. The comic was complete rubbish, usually only read by those raised in the Wizarding world. Muggleborns, and many halfbloods, found it quite...offensive. “I will not have you reading this nonsense. However, 'Carlo and the Dragon' is much more appropriate.”

Harry grinned, clutching the pile of books to his chest. “Thank you, Professor!”

“Very well, Harry. Now, shall I pay for this lot so that we can go meet Remus?” He gave a small smile, not bothering to correct the boy just yet. In time, he knew, Harry would become more comfortable with calling him by his name. But it was not pressing at the moment.

-x-

Two more hours of shopping, including convincing the young teenager that he was not too old for toys, and they were finally back home. Or well, back at the castle. It was time to show the child their humble joint quarters. Remus smiled fondly at the boy, stopping outside a door in the dungeons. Their quarters had a quick passageway up to Gryffindor tower now, thanks to the Headmistress, as well as a room suitable for a teenage boy. They were also now larger, because instead of just Severus living here, the three of them would now share these quarters.

Wide green eyes took in the living quarters. The main room was wide and comfortable, with well worn sofas and armchairs set near a fireplace. There were no portraits on the walls, but rather they were covered with bookshelves. There was one painting over the fireplace, a swirl of colours and contrast. But it was not loud or attention drawing, rather subtle. The room was warm, in shades of browns and blues. Beautiful. Who knew that his Potions Professor had such tastes! There was a small kitchen set off to one side, as well as a hallway. The Professor was surveying him, standing in said hallway.

“Come, Harry.” Severus ordered, motioning the boy away from his scrutinizing of his, no _their,_ living quarters. “This door leads to my private lab, which you are not allowed in without my express permission and _never_ alone. These two doors lead to the Slytherin and Gryffindor common rooms, which are not to be used this summer as they are both undergoing much transformation. This is Remus' and my room. That is the main bathroom and this is your room.” Severus stated briskly, pointing to each room in turn. The two passageways were warded against wandering boys, but it was best to let the child know also. The boy was merely staring at him, mouth gaping. “You'll catch flies, Mr. Potter.” He drawled, raising an eyebrow.

Harry gawped at the Professor, confused and delighted. It was a lot of information to be sure. But it was real! He had a room! So they must want to keep him, especially with all that money they spent on him! He would have to pay them back of course and he knew he would have to earn his keep, but damn! He had a home. A real one.

“Harry? Why don't you check out your room.” Remus suggested quietly, watching a variety of emotions flash through the child's eyes.

Harry hesitated for a moment but slowly pushed the door open. He gasped suddenly, eyes wide. The room was muted browns and blues, like the rest of the quarters, but it also had moving stars on the ceiling and a charmed window. There was a window seat and plenty of bookshelves, as well as a desk and wardrobe. But best of all was the bed. It had a deep royal blue comforter and blue sheets. It was a bit on the high side, but it was beautiful and it was so soft! He knew that, of course, because he had instantly thrown himself upon it, before looking sleepily up at his two guardians. Remus had merely grinned and the professor had his own half smile...he was so lucky! “Thank you thank you thank you!”

“Not at all, child. It is our pleasure to give you this room.”Remus replied softly, meeting the boy's eyes. He was surprised when Harry suddenly hugged him before the boy let go just as quickly.

Severus sighed, watching Harry blush and look down. “No need to be embarrassed, Harry. We all get excited sometimes.” He remarked quietly. The child merely nodded, turning back to survey his room. _No child should be ashamed of wanting physical contact._ He mused silently, exchanging glances with Remus.

“Well, Harry. We'll let you get unpacked and settled in. We will be in the main room if you need us.” Remus stated quietly, enlarging the packages they had bought. He set the bags on the floor, giving the boy a quiet smile. His only answer was a small, timid nod. With a sigh he took Severus' hand and they both slipped from the room, allowing the child some much needed alone time.

-x-

Alexis sighed, turning to the three older man who sat in her quarters. This was beginning to become quite a familiar routine. “I take it Harry's reactions were quite...shocking.” She stated dryly, taking in the two tumblers of a light brandy.

“Not many twelve year olds insist on buying their own clothes, nor that they are too old for models and figurines. I am aware that the Gryffindor common room does not have any toys and few games, but many of my fifth and sixth years still have those models and games! It took a calming draft to get the child to relax enough to sleep _in_ his bed. “ Severus growled, scowling into his brandy.

“Harry is not... a typical child. He needs much more than we can give him; he needs you, Tim. Without a mind healer, I'm afraid we will lose him.” Remus added quietly, swirling his brandy around its tumbler.

“I will meet him tomorrow afternoon. Alexis has a few plans that need to be put in place before noon. Harry does not just need a healer, he needs a family and you both will give him the love and care he craves. Don't doubt yourselves.” Tim replied calmly, watching both of the younger men with barely concealed concern. His palm itched with calming magic, but he knew that was not what they needed now. They, too, would need to heal, but it could not be forced on his part.

“Plans?” Severus asked sharply, raising an eyebrow at the younger woman.

“Yes plans. Tim is going to acquire some good counselors for Hogwarts summer camp and I have to speak with the teaching staff in residence as well as the house elves.” Alexis shrugged, dropping easily into her armchair. She propped her feet up on the table, ignoring the looks of disapproval, and started to rapidly drum her fingers. It was a nervous habit, hard to break.

“Professor Headmistress miss be needing somethings?” The house-elf that appeared frowned at the young woman, glancing briefly toward her feet.

“No thank you, Minzi. We are set.” Alexis replied with ease. It had taken awhile but she had quickly learned how to work with the house-elves, especially the one who seemed assigned to her specifically.

Minzi tilted her head to the side briefly before wagging her finger at the Headmistress. “Yous be needing some eats, miss. You have not eaten today.” She argued, snapping her fingers. A tray popped into the room, hovering near the table.

Alexis growled, glaring at the little elf. It didn't matter if she had been too busy to eat or sleep lately. She had a school to save. That could come later! She didn't need food now. “Thank you, Minzi.” She snarled through gritted teeth.

“If you woulds kindly remove your feet miss, they be not belonging on the furnishings!” Minzi scowled. The Headmistress had the decency to blush, dropping her feet off the table and onto a footstool that popped into view. Minzi grinned and bowed, popping away just as quickly as she had appeared.

“Meddling elf.” She hissed, glaring at the platter of food.

“I agree with the elf, Alexis. You need to eat.” Tim scolded gently, leaning forward and fixing a plate of food from the tray. He held the plate out to the young woman, it wasn't that much, really, and raised an eyebrow. Alexis huffed but took the plate, glaring at it as if the plate had personally insulted her.“Hogwarts holiday camp, Alexis? For this summer? That's a bit of a rush.” Remus remarked finally, causing the young woman to look over at him. He was quite glad, at that moment, that he did not have Tim's job. He had to act as parent, teacher, and mind-healer to Harry and the Gryffindors but he never would have been as unfazed as Tim when faced with someone like Alexis. He had been a counselor before, and was quite willing to be one once more, so he knew the disease that both Alexis and Severus fought. But he also remembered Severus' words, nearly two years ago now. It was Alexis' first summer at Hogwarts, after her first year of teaching. And Severus had said _“Albus hired her for a reason. Several, actually. Her fiery protectiveness for one. Her stubbornness and willpower. Even beaten, raped, and tortured she was still fighting with every ounce of life that she had.”_ The woman in front of him, the one who would die for her students, would probably fight any healer who tried to work with her. Except for Tim. He didn't pity the man though, not at all.

“Yes, it is. But it is necessary. I will not allow my students to remain in unfit homes and dangerous situations for a moment longer. Once everything is in place I hope to have current teaching staff and Tim's team visiting every single child that is suspected of being abused. The camp should not be too hard to put together. With sanctioned activities and clear rules, it should work well. If nothing else, we will know what not to do next year.” Alexis sighed, finally picking up the blasted fork and taking a small bite of her potatoes. It was only the thought of her students, and teachers, who needed her at her strongest that she finally felt hunger. True hunger.

Severus glanced at Remus, meeting the man's eyes for a moment. The sandy-haired man gave a small nod and he sighed. “If it is possible, we will help as needed. Our first priority is to the hurting child in our quarters. But Remus and I would like to help.” He stated quietly, watching the headmistress sharply. She merely nodded, gray eyes meeting his.

“Hogwarts could use all the help that She can get.” Alexis replied finally, steel eyes traveling to each of the men in turn. “So could I.”


	5. So Mote it Be

Severus groaned, rolling over. It was just past three in the morning and something was chiming. It took him a moment to realize what it was. In an instant he was off the bed, throwing on a warm robe. It was cold in the Dungeons after all. Remus was also awake, but watching him. He gave the man a brief nod, he would call if he needed help, and went to tend to Harry.

Harry was deep in sleep, thrashing around on his bed. The screams that tore from his throat, the ones he tried to desperately stop. He was begging and he knew he had to be quiet but it hurt so bad!

“Harry? Harry, it's just a dream.” Severus murmured, hesitating. He had already canceled the silencing spell, he was willing to bet that the child did not realize that he did that. He could shake the child awake but that could cause him to sink further into the nightmare. From the boy's pleads, he could guess what the dream was about. _Stupid muggles. You better hope I never see you again._ “Harry, child. You are safe, you are at Hogwarts. In our quarters. Come on Mr. Potter, wake up.” He repeated briskly, hoping his tone would get through to the child. The boy stirred, groaning. “You are safe, Harry. You can wake up now. No one will harm you here. I swear that to you.”

Harry groaned, blearily opening his eyes. He hurt so much, ached all over. He wasn't sure if it was from his thrashing about or the remainder of the beating his uncle had given him just three days prior. The bruising was nearly gone and he would not complain about it. He was not ungrateful, after all. “Sorry professor.” He croaked, staring at his hands.

“Harry...you do not have to apologize for nightmares child.” Severus replied softly, silently summoning a calming draft. For him or the boy was a bit unclear, but one of them would need it. Soon.

“But I woke you sir.” Harry whispered, glancing up at the professor. Oh, how he missed his fringe! He could no longer hide behind his hair. Damn.

“I am rather glad you did.” Severus sighed, watching the child. He looked like he was in pain. “Are you hurt, Harry?”

“Just a little sore, sir.” Harry murmured, looking down again. Why did he have to be such a baby? No one else had nightmares like that! No one else woke their professor by screaming! Stupid dreams.

Severus nodded, summoning a pain potion. He caught the two vials with ease, dark orbs focused only on the child. “Could you tell me about your dream, Harry?” He asked softly. His answer was a frantic shake of the boy's head. “It will make you feel better.”

“Please sir...I can't.” Harry whispered, biting his lip. If he talked about it, that made it real and although it had happened, he didn't want it to be real. He didn't want to remember.

“Alright Harry. We won't talk about it tonight. But know that you can always talk to Remus and I about anything. Do you think you can sleep, child?” Severus sighed, knowing better than to argue with the child. His trust was still so fragile, it was easily broken. Harry gave the tiniest of nods, not looking up. “Alright child. I want you to take these two potions for me, and then I will stay until you fall asleep.”

Harry looked up with shocked green eyes. No one had ever done that for him before. Not ever. He was too old to be sat with, wasn't he? After all, he was nearly thirteen. His professor offered him one vial and he took it slowly, sniffing it. He finally tipped it back, grimacing at the taste. The second vial was handed over and he swallowed it quickly. This one actually tasted much better, almost sweet. He instantly felt calmer and his soreness was gone. His eyes started to droop, as a blanket was pulled back up around him and tucked in. His eyes fluttered and he finally gave back into sleep.

Severus watched the child for several minutes in silence, watching the chest of that too small frame raise and fall. He brushed the boy's hair away from his head, before turning and leaving the sleeping child in peace. Hopefully the calming draft would keep the nightmares away for the rest of the night. He sighed, easing himself back into his own bed. Remus met his eyes and enveloped him into a tight embrace, kissing him gently. He had not thought that raising this child would be so tough, so heart-wrenching. Because their child was hurting and there wasn't much he could do. Not alone, anyway. He nestled into Remus and closed his own eyes, letting sleep take over.

-x-

Tim sighed, frowning down at the younger woman. He had just stepped out of her floo, glad that he had the password to her personal quarters. It was just after three in the morning, and she was still awake. And working. “Alexis.”

Alexis glanced up from the piles of parchment, frowning at the healer. She hadn't even noticed him arriving, huh. “May I help you?” She raised any eyebrow, glancing at the timepiece above the floo. After three. She wasn't going to get to sleep again. Grand.

“You have ten minutes to finish what you are doing and change for bed.” Tim ordered briskly, moving to pick up some loose sheaves of parchment that had found their way onto the floor.

“I'm not a child, Tim.” She snapped, not even looking up. She remembered quite well how he treated her during her apprenticeship. He had been a great mentor, but he had been quite...annoying. He had always been that way. He used to make her go to sleep then, too. Once she caught hold of something, she felt the need to stay wake until she finished it. Logically, she knew that she could not possibly stay awake until Hogwarts was completely healed. That would be...disastrous. “How did you know?” She added, glancing up at him.

“You are running yourself to the ground. My alert charms and a concerned elf are quite efficient for keeping track of such things. You might not be a child, Alexis. But you did give me control over your health, health that you are currently endangering. I could ban you from working until you have gained a stone and sleep on a constant schedule. But as that is not possible, you will eat and sleep when I tell you, if you want any chance to save this school.” Tim replied quietly, straightening up the quarters as he moved about. “Five minutes.”

She growled a curse under her breath, scribbling a note on a piece of parchment and waving her hand. The parchment sheaves straightened themselves into neat piles. She placed the note on top and stood with a groan. Damn man. “Dreamless?” It was almost a plead, and she knew he would notice that.

Tim hesitated for a moment but gave a quick nod. “Go get ready for bed, I will be in there in a few minutes with your potion.” He watched her leave the room, entering into her bed chambers, and sighed. He continued to pick up the sitting room, organizing books and quills. The young woman had been up for over a day, according to her house-elf. Her request for Dreamless Sleep was bit worrying, for he knew that the young woman was not addicted to it. Rather, it meant that she could not sleep on her own. Worrying indeed. He sorted through the vials in a pocket of his robes, always better to be prepared after all, removing the light blue potion.

Alexis groaned, sitting down of her bed. She had to have a pesky, annoying healer. Not a normal one who would leave her alone and falter under pressure. No, she had to have Tim, who had known her for years, who spoke her native language, who taught her all she knew about Touch and Mind-healing. The same man who was standing in her doorway, surveying her with a potion in one hand. Damn man.

Tim paused in the doorway for a moment before striding into the room. He needed to do a full work up on all of his new patients, but it could wait until a decent hour. The younger woman was way too thin and too pale. But he would fight that battle after she had a few hours of sleep in her. Alexis had a tight grip on her temper, but when she was exhausted she could become quite...volatile. “Come on, Alexis. Under the covers, please.” He ordered quietly.

She growled at him but obeyed, slipping under the dark purple blankets with ease. She was quite cold, even in this warm room. Steel eyes glared at him as he sat on the edge of her bed, offering her the blessed dreamless sleep. It kept her from being plagued by nightmares, at the very least. She silently took the vial, ignoring the gentle hand on her shoulder. The calming magic that seeped through her body made her eyes flutter briefly, her body relax. With a small sigh, she downed the potion, letting her mind ease into a peaceful, dreamless, relaxing sleep.

Tim pulled the covers up around the younger woman, tucking them in. He knew she would be mortified at that, but he had cared for the younger woman when she was sick or exhausted before. Sick because of exhaustion, usually. Damn woman didn't know her own limits. He cast a simple monitoring spell, leaving the room to head to his own bed. Hopefully, the potion would keep her asleep for the rest of the night, she desperately needed it.

-x-

Alexis surveyed the staff room from where she stood. Her professors had all fallen silent when she had mentioned the holiday camp. She knew, of course, that she already had Filius, Remus, and Severus' support. But it would be nice if the rest of the staff in residence would also support this project. Of course, the room had not been so quiet when she mentioned the new points system. Years of ingrained behavior would be hard to break at first, but it could be done. It was this waiting that got to her the most. Waiting for their opinions and suggestions while her students were hurting. She had already spoken to the house-elves and a group of them had dashed off to make some rooms appropriate for a camp. Now it was just the staff, the staff who were gazing at her with curiosity and...pride. Damn old people.

“A holiday camp, you said? I believe we could make that work. Perhaps if we broke the children up by age group, say eleven to thirteen or fourteen and up, we could have activities that would work for each age group. I went to a muggle holiday camp as a child and I do remember quite a few of the camp activities. We could do both muggle and magical games and crafts.” Charity remarked finally, breaking the silence. She was not the muggle studies professor for nothing. She was a muggleborn, with a deep understanding of muggle culture. It did sound like a good idea, a way to help hurting children.

“If we add a therapeutic aspect to it, it would work well to help these children cope. We would, of course, need close supervision on all but the oldest of the groups, with structure and rules for all of the students, but it is worth a try.” Septima Vector added, doing a few quick calculations in her mind. She taught arithmancy and was quite good with turning to numerology to solve problems and find answers. The math was suggesting strongly that this could work. Of course, similar calculations had her deciding to work with the sarcastic dark man who sat frowning at the Headmistress. Slytherin house would do well with two heads of house, especially two who were Slytherins themselves.

Alexis turned gray eyes back on the room at large. The murmurs of agreement were enough to make her happy. Good, if the staff was on board then the programme could go ahead without having to falter. “Alright then, that's settled. Now, there is a need for some home visits, some of which need to occur as soon as humanly possible. Would anyone object to making these visits? I could use all of your help with this. Tim is working to set up counselors, of both the mind-healing and holiday camp type. Any help at all would be appreciated.” She remarked finally, pulling three sheets of parchment out of her robe pocket. One was the group that Albus had removed, another the ones who needed help now, and the last the entirety of the known cases. She met each of their eyes at turn, quite pleased when each of them gave her a quick nod. Good. “I have lists here of each student, which can be divided up between all of us. These two lists are top priority, they need visits first. There are nearly eighty children total, so it might take a week or so to get to them all, but as many as possible as soon as possible.” She sighed, finally dropping into a chair with grace. The gasps at her statement were not shocking, nor were the muttered curses. She had felt much the same way at first. “Any student who needs to be removed should be brought directly back here. If there is a problem...contact Severus, Tim, or myself immediately.” She added quietly, passing the lists to her right, to Filius. The man silently took the lists, making copies of them with a tap of his wand. Those copies were quickly passed around, the originals being handed back to her.

“By your leave Ale- Headmistress, I would like to attend to some of these students now.”Filius remarked quietly, his eyes scanning the first sheaf of parchment. He knew all of these students, some were Ravenclaws. He had taught them all and he wanted to make them safe, as soon as he could. There were so many wrongs to right and not so much time to do it in.

Alexis bit back a snort. She was several decades younger than the man, the youngest person in the room. And although that would change, she knew some of Tim's team and a few of the teacher assistants were her age or younger, it was just...mind-boggling for this man that she respected to call her by anything but her name. “While I appreciate the title, please, all of you, just call me Alexis. It will save all of us a bit of a headache.” She scowled at Filius for a moment, before turning her sharp gaze around the room. After all, they had all called Albus by his name the majority of the time, unless they were surrounded by students. She knew that they would understand that fact quite clearly. No need to call her by that title whilst in private. “And yes, please. As soon as possible.” She added as an after thought, sneering at the now chuckling Severus. Damn man. The professors departed soon after that, discussing who was going where first. Good, finally some progress.

“Did you sleep at all, Alexis?” Severus asked finally, breaking the silence. It was just him and the younger woman left now. Remus was in their quarters with Harry, to let the child get used to him. There were circles under the woman's eyes, but they did look less pronounced than the day before.

“I did.” She growled, turning her eyes from the parchment she was reading, for there was always some paperwork that needed her attention. “Did you?” She raised an eyebrow at him. He looked tired, the beginning of circles under his own eyes.

“Some.” He admitted quietly. He was willing to bet that her sleep had not just been a drugged one but also forced.”Harry was having nightmares.” His dark orbs met gray and he noted the concern there, not just for the child but also for him.

“I'm not surprised. He needs to talk about them, and his life with those muggles. Tim should be back this afternoon and he did mention something this morning about meeting with Harry.” Alexis replied finally, watching the man that she thought of as a brother. It wasn't until recently that she realized he felt the same toward her. A family made was sometimes better than a family born into. She knew that and young Harry would learn it too. All of her hurting students would, for Hogwarts and Her staff would become their family.

Severus raised an eyebrow at her. What she did not say spoke volumes. “He convinced you to eat.” He stated finally, watched her carefully. Remus had done much the same this morning, using logic and pleading as an incentive to get him to eat more than a few bites of food. Harry would copy what they did, so his guardians needed to eat healthily. But Alexis...she did not have a child to act as an incentive. Well, she did have a school to run, perhaps that would help. Knowing Alexis as he did, it might not. The woman was constantly taking on tasks and forgetting to sleep and eat, putting it off until she had more time. Hmpf.

_How the hell he got that from a simple sentence!_ “I said no such thing.” She snapped, glancing around the room to make sure they were truly alone. They were. Severus was one of the few people she didn't mind discussing this with. It helped that he had similar issues with food. Both of them had grown up in neglectful environments. Food was not always a given and then when it was, it was a control. She could control whether or not she ate, what she ate. And she had been doing just fine until Albus passed on. An urgent need for control, yes. But she also just didn't have the time. It was never about her body, not anymore. But the control...it was freeing.

“You didn't have to. I know you, Alexis.” Severus retorted, raising a brow at the younger woman. The way she had said Tim's name, as almost a snarl, had been a dead give away. Her answer was an even bigger one. The Headmistress was an _ex_ -anorexic, just as he was. But she needed to be healthy to take care of Hogwarts. If she wanted to do all that she said, she needed to be better. “Eating...is not ideal, to either of us. But you have a school to run, a school that needs you at your best. I will brew a stronger Nutrition potion for you, it will help but it cannot replace food. You know this.” He added softly, nearly black eyes meeting steely gray ones.

“Tim said much the same this morning.” She sighed, finally looking away. She knew that she had to be at her best and she would give Hogwarts her best. It was just...hard. And sometimes a bit humiliating, to admit that she needed help. “He didn't have to force me to eat, though.” She added with a sneer.

“Knowing Tim as I do, he probably thought he did.” His reply was not harsh nor sarcastic. It was soft, kind. As he could be, when he chose. As he often was, actually. Tim had been his healer years ago and was, once more, taking over that role. But not as thoroughly as the older man was doing for Alexis. He did not need another person in charge of his health, he had Remus after all. But Alexis did. She would neglect her health for her students, and that would not help them at all. Stubborn girl.

-x-

Harry grumbled, kicking his feet back and forth. He did not quite understand what he was doing here, sitting in this 'office'. It looked like a sitting room with a large oak desk set off to one side. Much more comfortable than his professor's office was, anyway. There were no creepy, floating things here. But there were plenty of books, several of which were not in a language he recognized. His professors were out in the hallway, speaking with some tall brown-haired man. About him, he knew. But he didn't like it.

Tim paused in the doorway, which he had left open. A silencing spell had ensured that the child did not hear their conversation, he had wanted to watch the child when he thought he was not being observed. Well, it was quite time to speak with Harry. He also wanted to run his own examination, although it would be a simple one. Because Alexis and Poppy had both done full works on the child, Alexis had even managed a touch scan at one point. Tim gave a small sigh, stepping into the room. It had already been a long day and it was going to be much longer. “Hello Harry. My name is Tim. I am a healer.” He stated finally, watch the child closely. The boy did not even flinch, so he must had known he was in the room.

“I'm not sick, sir.” Harry replied with a frown, turning to look at the man. _What is it with adults giving their first names? So weird._ He did not meet the older man's eyes, he knew better than that. Even if Remus and the professor kept asking him to look at them. These adults just didn't understand the rules and their rules weren't actually rules. Perhaps they were just confused. Hm.

“No, you are not. However, I am not just a physical healer. There are some wounds which are invisible, that are inside. I also work to heal those wounds.” Tim explained quietly, dropping into his favourite armchair. The green eyed child was refusing to look at him still, kicking his feet against his own armchair.

“I don't need healing.” Harry muttered, glaring at his feet. He didn't need to be healed, he wasn't crazy. Only crazy people needed therapists, that's what aunt said, and wasn't that what Tim was? A therapist.

“You do. You need to talk about it Harry, before it eats away at you. Talking about what's bothering you helps, trust me it does. That's what I'm here for, so that you have someone to talk to. Whether you choose the subject or I do, it will help. You just have to let me help you.” Tim replied calmly, biting back a sigh. All children reacted the same way at first. Hopefully the boy would agree to work with him.

Harry snorted, shaking his head. There was nothing to talk about, he was perfectly fine. It was the adults who needed help, after all. He knew better than to tell. “I'm fine, sir.” Harry shrugged, still not meeting Tim's eyes.

Tim shook his head, closing his eyes briefly. _Merlin grant me patience._ “You might be fine Harry, but wouldn't you prefer to not have nightmares?” He replied with a slight frown. The boy merely shrugged. “Harry, did your relatives have rules that you had to follow?” He asked finally, raising an eyebrow in thought. Perhaps the child thought he would get in trouble if he spoke.

Harry glanced up at the healer, scowling. Of course there were rules, all adults had rules. Even if some didn't know how to make good rules. “Yes sir.” Perhaps the healer would agree with those rules, even if some of them had been quite terrible and hard to follow.

“Could you tell me what these rules were, Harry?”

He forced himself not to roll his eyes, gazing off passed the healer's left shoulder. “No food unless my chores were finished, no asking questions or talking back. No tracking mud.” The last had been Aunt Petunia's rule for all of them, funnily enough. “No using the word 'magic' or wizard', no freakishness, no homework. No talking about what went on in the house.” Harry shrugged, simple enough really. But not so easy to follow.

Tim took a deep breath, it was no worse than other abused children. But that did not make it alright, especially the 'no food' rule. It was not surprising that the child was so small then. “And what happened if you broke one of these rules, Harry?” The boy paled, going still.

“I got punished sir.”

He knew that, but it really was the principal of the matter. He needed the child to tell him about it, so that he could understand what he was trying to heal. “How?” Came the calm, gentle question.

Harry froze. It was against the rules he just recited. Surely the man wasn't dumb? He suddenly smacked his head into his hand, he was not suppose to think badly of adults, he knew that. Stupid, stupid.

“Harry? Put your hands on your knees, please.” Tim instructed with a grimace. A child who was prone to harming himself, or perhaps one who had been taught to harm himself for disobedience and 'bad' behaviour. This was going to prove to be a challenge, but he had known that coming in. The fact that the boy obeyed him instantly was telling. Time to lay down his own rules then. “Whatever rules you are following, do not apply here. Severus and Remus will never harm you, nor would they have rules as such. You are allowed to speak freely here Harry. I have only three rules and I want you to remember them, because they are important. The first is that you are always honest with me. I do not appreciate lies. The second is related to that rule. If you do not want to talk about something, then tell me that instead of lying about it or telling me that it is fine. The third is that before you do something dangerous or something that would cause harm to yourself or someone else, that you find an adult you trust to speak to. Do you understand those rules, Harry?” Tim stated finally, observing the child closely.

Harry finally looked up, giving the briefest of nods. They were simple enough rules, close to some of Remus and the professor's rules actually. “Yes sir.”

“Good. Now, can you tell me how you were punished Harry? It is really important that I know.” Tim smiled at the child, who went back to staring at his trainers. Another ingrained rule or a defense mechanism, he couldn't be sure.

“Yes sir. It depended, really. If I didn't finish all my chores, I usually wasn't allowed to eat and locked in my cupboard. Sometimes uncle was very displeased, especially if Aunt Petunia was out. When she was home, he rarely does more than slap me around or lock me in my cupboard.” Harry intoned with a shrug. It was nothing really, a normal punishment for sure.

“And when she was away?”

“Wellll...he used his belt a lot and his fists. Sometimes if he's really angry and I'm cooking, that's one of my chores, he'll put my hand on the burner. Or he'll use a cord. Sometimes he slams me about and he kicks me a lot, but it's really nothing sir.” Harry jiggled his leg, trying to be still. But it was impossible at the moment. Nerve-wracking. He had never told no one before. What if the man didn't believe him? Or worse, what if he told uncle? “Please don't tell, sir, please!” He gasped, looking up with frightened green eyes.

Tim took a deep, calming breath, forcing his mind to calm down. He could not go about hexing muggles, it was not conductive to healing Harry. Although it might make _him_ feel better. “Anything you say in this room will not be repeated except to those who need to know, like the Headmistress. I will not tell anyone exactly what you say, unless there is something concerning there. If you are a danger to yourself or others, or if your health is concerned, I do have to tell the Headmistress and your guardians. But Remus and Severus will never hurt you like your relatives did Harry. You will never go back there child, don't even think on that.” Tim stated calmly, meeting the boy's eyes for a moment. “Try and calm down Harry, or I will need to give you some calming magic.” He added with a small frown. The boy had worked himself up quite a bit.

Harry took a deep breath, not sure if he was quite ready to believe it. It was too good to be true, that he would be free from the Dursleys. “I'm really free sir?” He asked quietly, breaking the silence.

“Yes Harry. You are free from them and safe. You are also loved. I-” He broke off when a Patronus came tumbling into the room.

The silvery fox, Remus' patronus, glided through the closed door and hovered in front of the healer. “You are needed in the Infirmary, as soon as you are able. Severus and Alexis are overwhelmed, and Poppy is not equipped. Charity will be by in a moment.” It spoke in Remus' controlled, frantic voice before dissipating. A moment later there was a knock on the door.

Tim sighed. Of all the times, right when he was getting through to the child! “I'm sorry Harry, we will have to continue this later.” He replied, standing swiftly. He summoned his bag and a small black notebook. “Here, this is for you. Use it to write down anything that you feel you cannot speak about.” He handed the child the notebook, smiling briefly at the boy while waving his hand at the door. It opened and Charity, the muggle studies teacher if he was correct, stepped into the room, looking quite distraught. He put a gentle hand on her shoulder, sending a quick burst of calming magic into her. “How many?” He asked sharply, glancing once more at the child.

“Four. Two are critical and one is...unresponsive. Alexis said to inform you to bring your 'second bag'.” Charity replied quietly, before turning to smile at Harry. “Hello Harry. Your guardians are a bit tied up right now but they didn't want you wondering around alone yet. If Tim says it is alright, would you like to go flying?” She glanced at the healer, who was moving around at an almost inhuman speed.

“Use a safety spell and it should be fine. I'll see you later Harry, come to me if you need anything.” Tim responded, stepping into the floo.

Harry turned wide green eyes on the professor that he had only seen a few times in passing before. But if the professors trusted her, then she must be okay. Besides she said flying. “Flying? Yes, please.” He grinned.

Charity smile at the child, letting him toward the pitch and away from the castle. It was best to be as far away from the infirmary as possible right now. It was not a good sight to see, not at all.

-x-

“Breathe, child. Breathe.” Alexis murmured, sending jolts of magic directly to the boy's heart. She heard Tim arrive but ignored him, focusing entirely on bringing this rising Seventh year, a boy close to seventeen, back from the brink of death. His younger sibling was on another bed, heavily sedated. The girl had a fractured rib and a few abrasions, but nothing too serious. He, on the other hand, had nearly died twice since they had portkeyed him to Hogwarts, all of five minutes ago. “Come on child, breathe.” She hissed, sending one last bolt into his heart and another to his lungs. She paused, wiping the back of her hand across her face, the use of so much strong magic was draining her. But the only way to save him was with her hands on his chest, pushing the magic into him. Thankfully, his body finally seemed to want to work with her, as his chest finally, finally _,_ started to raise and fall again. Thank Merlin. She sent her magic, more gently this time, back into his body. Touch healing was difficult to master but it worked amazingly. It was also the most draining type of healing. With one hand still on his chest, she picked up her wand again, tracing it over the boy's leg with a muttered spell. The crack of bone made her wince, but the leg aligned itself and she mended the break. She sent a small burst of magic to his lungs, to clear them of fluid, and another to heal a small bit of internal bleeding. All told, the boy had been truly beaten, one of the worse cases she had seen lately. His body made his sister's beating look like a tap, made Harry's beating look light in comparison. He was lucky to be alive.

Tim took a deep breath, surveying the room. Alexis had her hands on a teenager's chest, muttering under her breath. Before he go move to help her, however, she removed her hands and the boy's chest started to raise and fall. He turned his head to find the other three children, catching Remus' eye.

“We need you over here, Tim, if Alexis is alright.” Remus called, beckoning toward a bed a few places away. They had spread out so that they would have space, he had never imagined that any of the students would arrive looking like this though. It was just...heartbreaking.

Tim nodded, moving quickly over to the bed. Remus and Poppy both stepped back, letting him take charge. Both were decent healers, but neither could handle the most serious of injuries alone. With a quick diagnostic spell, he grimaced, spelling away the child's outer clothes. He left the underclothes, as they weren't in his way, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder and another on her stomach. He closed his eyes, focusing his magic on the internal bleeding. She had been hit it the ribs with something heavy and one of her ribs was close to piecing her lungs. Her spleen and kidneys were both bruised and her stomach was bleeding. He send the magic through each organ, healing and strengthening it, before tending to the rib. It was a tricky process, especially with the small fracture to her collarbone, but he managed to ease the rib back into place, before waving his wand with a bit of Latin. The bone mended easily and her collarbone cracked, before snapping back into place and healing completely. He summoned one of his healers bags, with he had dropped near the floo, and rummaged in it for a moment before finding the wrap he needed. Although he could heal her ribs and collarbone, both would still be tender and sore for a few days. He wrapped the rib to prevent it from getting re-injured and to strength it as it finished healing the natural way. She has a few abrasions which were taken care of with a simple balm, before he finally turned from the bed, leaving the now healing child in Poppy's capable hands.

Severus muttered a curse, summoning a potion on the hopes that Tim thought to bring it. A small black bag flew into his hands and he opened it, eyes taking it all of the restricted healing and restorative potions before finding the one he needed. He grabbed it, uncorking the vial with his teeth as he moved his wand it a delicate pattern, murmuring in Latin. His body stopped convulsing long enough for him to open his mouth and pour it the potion, muttering a spell to make the boy swallow. The seizures stopped and he took a deep breath, glancing up at Remus. The slightly older man was tending to abrasions on the child's arms and chest now that he was no longer trying to keep the boy on the bed. He turned back to fixing the damage with a sigh. The boy was no longer critical, since he was breathing on his own and he was not bleeding internally. There were a few injuries he had to repair, but nothing life threatening.

-x-

“You will wear a path in the carpet, Alexis.” Tim stated dryly, watching the woman over his cup of tea.

Her quarters felt a bit crowded. Normally it was only Tim, Remus and Severus, or Filius. Never the four of them and Poppy, plus two of Tim's team. The two who had just arrived. Grey eyes glared at him briefly, she did not like being scolded in front of so many people and he knew that, before Alexis finally dropped into her own chair, taking the mug of tea that Remus offered her. “Harry?” She asked softly.

“Charity and Aurora have him engaged in an exciting game of Gobstones in the Great Hall.” Remus replied just as quietly. He smiled when the younger woman snorted.

“Ink everywhere then. I always thought it needed redecorating.” She drawled, drawing laughs from two of the present professors and a snort from Severus. Good, the mood needed to be lighten. She glanced at Cara Stinkle and Lema Ruse, two of the new mind-healers. Both were trained by Tim. All of his team had been trained by him, at one point or another. An army of Touch-Healers. Exactly what they needed. “Since Tim had no manners, Healers Stinkle and Ruse will be joining our staff as part of a team of mind-healers.” She added, nodding to the two women. The blond, Lema, smiled, whilst the redheaded Cara merely looked up from the file she was scanning.

“You have four students here now then? But one is almost of age and none have guardians, do they?” Cara asked quietly, sharp green eyes meeting steel before gazing around the room and finding Tim's brown orbs. He gave a small, brief nod, and she relaxed. She had never been his patient and for that she was thankful. It was hard enough when he had been her teacher, and now, thirty-seven years old, he still intimated her. Tim wore authority like a cloak, he was no-nonsense and gentle at the same time, a great, experienced mind-healer. The nine healer team was strong because of Tim. Two healers for each house and Tim for the staff and specific cases, the harder to reach ones. That was his specialty. Hers was young teenage girls.

“Five students, if you count Harry. And they do have guardians. The school is acting _in loco parentis_ to all students who will spent the summers, just as we do during the school year. Those whose guardianship can be terminated, will. The rest will just be kept safe here. And yes, that includes the boy who is nearly of age. Seventeen might be of age in our world, but very few children are capable of taking care of and supporting themselves at that age. He also has a twelve year old sister and I will _not_ separate them. We will find something for him here, but he is _staying_.” Alexis snarled, steel eyes flashing. She knew, logically, that the slightly older healer was not challenging her judgment but she was not about to lose one of her children, one of Hogwart's most vulnerable. No way in hell.

“The children are safe here and no one will remove them, Alexis. Healer's oath, remember?” Severus remarked quietly, catching the younger woman's eyes. He held her gaze until she nodded, turning his own gaze to the two new healers. “My sister has a bit of a hot temper when she feels that children are threatened, forgive her.” He purred. The younger of the two, Ruse?, blushed and averted her gaze, causing Remus _and_ Filius to snort. Merlin help him if the younger healer had a crush on him!

Alexis bit her lip to keep her mouth from dropping open or from smiling, she wasn't sure which. Well! It was a heavy sort of day, one that dragged healers down. But Severus had just publicly acknowledged her as his _sister!_ And the women probably thought he meant by blood. Although the way Lema was staring at Severus was a bit...hilarious. It was only a matter of time before Remus started snarling and growling possessively. Of course he might not, seeing as Lema was not a threat. At all. Severus was not a blond lover. She bit back a chuckle, meeting Tim's gaze.

Tim nodded, sorting through his pile of paperwork quite clearly. “The four students arrived in varying conditions, as you are all aware. I believe it is Nora and Robert Pioky, twelve and sixteen respectively; Phil Green, fifteen; and Alana Thompson, fourteen. So, that is five students between twelve and sixteen. I'm not sure of their houses, however.” He remarked quietly, his voice carrying in the silent room. He glanced at Severus and the younger man nodded with a slight frown.

“Both Pioky's are Slytherins. I've been trying to get Robert removed from his home for six years but he refused for some reason he wouldn't mention, until his sister started Hogwarts and he stopped going home for breaks. Green is a Gryffindor and Thompson is one of Filius'.” Severus added, biting back a sigh. It was going to be a long summer, he knew that.

Alexis gave a small nod, deep in thought. She had already known this of course and they had already spoken of the serious injuries that three of the four had sported. She would have to speak with all four separately when they were awake. There was so much work to be done and hopefully it would be enough to help these children. She took a sip of the restorative tea, before setting it down and musing aloud “There is much healing to be done, but we, as a school, will make it so.” The prayer and oath went up, a shiver of power running through the room. She was not surprised to hear the “so mote it be” the rang up around the room. But she was surprised when the wards flared in her mind and strengthen. She was also surprised when the shimmer of magic shown from each person, brighter than before. An oath indeed. “So mote it be.” She whispered with a smile as the world went black.

-x-


	6. Discoveries

Several things happened at once. Tim and Severus both cursed darkly, standing as one. Remus caught the younger woman as she slumped forward and Filius took her wrist, quickly finding her pulse. It took a moment for Severus to shoo away the three women, dark eyes watching Tim crouch in front of Alexis' chair. “Well?” He snarled, concern evident in his tone. This was the second time the young woman had passed out in his company. He was feeling quite...useless.

“Remus, calm your partner.” Tim ordered, one hand on Alexis' wrist and the other on her chest. The younger man obeyed, making sure that Alexis was secure before moving to wrap Severus in a hug. Filius was quiet, his eyes narrowed in thought. She had truly blacked out but there was no clear cause. Her body was weak from exhaustion and lack of food, but her heart and lungs were strong. Tim sighed, sending a bit of magic through her veins. “What do you make of this, Filius?” He asked finally, his voice soft.

“Hogwarts' magic is too strong for her body to handle while conscious. Albus fainted the first time he fully took on the wards, with sleep and time his body adjusted to the amount of magic. But he never made oaths to the castle. It seems that Alexis is channeling more magic than Albus ever did.” Filius commented quietly, brown eyes surveying the younger woman. “Albus used to take in large quantities of sugar, partly because of addiction. But he also once mentioned that it kept his mind alert. I think the sugar helped him when the castle's magic became overwhelming.” He added slowly, turning the thoughts over in his mind. Hogwarts was channeling magic through the Headmistress, who would die for her students. But the school would never harm her, intentionally.

“Alexis does not eat willingly. Forcing her to intake any amount of sugar would be...disastrous. I do have a potion that might mitigate some of the pressure of the wards, but I cannot be sure.” Severus remarked quietly, dark eyes locked on the younger woman.

Tim gave a quick nod, focusing completely on the headmistress. Consciousness was slowly starting to return to her, he was not sure, however, if her body would return to a true sleep or if she would rejoin them much sooner. It took a few minutes but her eyes finally fluttered open.

“Whaa?” She mumbled, trying to push herself up. She was in a reclining chair, oddly enough. Her armchair didn't recline but she didn't remember moving. She frowned when the chair changed back to its original state, gray eyes darting from face to face. Tim was crouched in front of her, two fingers on her wrist. “What happened?” She grimaced, fighting down the pain that shot through her body. It took a moment but it faded. Her eyes took in the shimmer of magic that cloaked the room, brighter and more visible than it normally was. She blinked quickly, letting her eyes adjust to the new levels of visible magic. Visible to her, at least.

“You blacked out. Do you know where you are, Alexis?” Tim asked calmly, finally moving into the nearest chair. His muscles were stiff but it was nothing that he wasn't used to.

“My quarters at Hogwarts. We were having a meeting about the children who had just arrived and I...Oh. The wards.” She replied, realization dawning suddenly.

“What about the wards?” Tim glanced at Filius, meeting the older man's eyes. So he was right then.

“They strengthened and I accepted them. Her magic grows and changes, depending on need.” Alexis shrugged, reaching for her cup of tea. Merlin was she tired!

Severus snorted. It was just like the younger woman to blow it off like it was nothing. Well, that wouldn't do! “You have passed out twice in the last two weeks, Alexis. That we _know of._ Channeling enormous amounts of magic might cause such black outs, but it is not just the magic and you know it.” He barked, raising an eyebrow at the younger woman who was now glaring at him. He invented that glare, she couldn't frighten him. Except she had and he hated to admit it. He had become quite attached in the last few years. She was his sister and this was not healthy, even if it was quite...hypocritical.

Grey eyes flashed, darting quickly around the room. This was not the time or place to have this argument, granted all those present already knew. But no one understood or knew how bad it really was except for Severus and she would not allow him to spill her secrets in front of Tim. She'd never hear the end of it! “It is not important now, Severus. I'm fine.” She growled finally, locking eyes with him. Remus was gazing between the two of them, as if he just knew that they were going to fight. And Filius had returned to a pile of paperwork that he had offered to do, she did have too much of it to finish alone. But Severus just met her gaze calmly, sneering at her. Hmpf.

“It is not _fine_.” He snapped. “It will kill you, Alexis. “

She growled at him angrily. “It will _not._ Drop it. Now.” Came the bitter snarl.

“No. You may be the Headmistress, but I am older _and_ your deputy. It's _killing_ you.” He snapped. Severus was quite aware the three sets of eyes were moving between the two of them, following this argument. This fight. They did not fight normally, especially not publicly. But this was not really public. This was family. Filius who had suffered through constant bickering dinners, although it was the man's own fault for inviting them both to dine in his quarters. Remus who had grown to accept and then love Alexis as family. And Tim. The man who had helped both of them find themselves in the darkest of times. He too was family. He also knew that they were not quite following the argument, although Alexis knew exactly what he meant. He did not mean the magic of the castle, not at all. No, the castle was probably _helping_ Alexis, instead of harming her. For as much as Hogwarts needed Alexis, Alexis needed Hogwarts. And she needed them. Even if she hated him for it, which she might, she needed her family. And they were her family.

“Get it through your thick skull. I. Am. FINE!” Alexis scowled darkly, steel eyes dark with anger. She had a right to be angry, of course. It was her personal life. Even if she thought of all four of these men as her family, even if they might not feel the same, this was her life. Her secret. It was none of their damn business.

“Oh? Then remove your glamours.” Severus retorted silkily. She wasn't going to get out of this. She could not out Slytherin him.

 _Fuck._ “I'm fine!” She snapped, crossing her arms and standing quickly. She wavered briefly as the room span. A warm hand steadied her. She turned cold eyes on Tim, glaring at the healer but he did not let go. Which might have been a good thing. She was quite...dizzy. Damn.

Tim frowned. Something else was going on here, besides the obvious. He knew that Severus was not talking about the magic, but he was a bit...confused. He should have known if the young woman was wearing glamours. His healing spells could detect it. Granted, he had not cast anything other than a standard diagnostic spell one the younger woman just yet. He still needed to do a full work up on her, but the students this afternoon had taken a bit out of all of them. He had been planning to wait until tomorrow. Perhaps it was better to do it today, he had worked with much more exhaustion, after all. “Glamours?” He asked calmly. Both had returned to glaring at each other but Severus gave him a slight nod. Just what was Alexis hiding?

“If you are fine, you will remove them.” Severus retorted quietly. He was not even quite aware of what the younger woman looked like underneath them anymore. He had seen them flicker once or twice in the last few weeks, but that was all.

Alexis growled, desperately needing to pace. But she was not stupid enough to try. If standing made her dizzy, what would pacing do? She didn't need to faint again. She had yet to faint in front of them, but she had been fainting on a semi-regular basis. She blamed it on lack of sleep, but perhaps that was just her excuse. What was there to lose, really? Besides her freedom to do what she wanted with her body. But Merlin, she was exhausted and this argument was wearing. “Fine!” She snarled finally. “If that's what you want. There is nothing wrong with me!” She added with a hiss. But she knew that once the glamours were gone, she could no longer deny it. She had not even seen herself recently. She knew that before the last three weeks, she had looked rather...bad. But now? Even with a little help from Hogwarts, the magic of the wards, she probably still looked...horrible. She hid it from more than just them though. She hid it from herself. She didn't want to admit that she wasn't doing well and she didn't want to see the face that looked back at her. Even with the glamours she was near gaunt and pale. Without them....who knew.

“If either of us really believe that, we would not be having this conversation.” Severus replied quietly, dark eyes fixed on the younger woman. Something was...wrong. Her eyes had taken on a haunted, almost scared look. Something he had only seen a few times before. And then the thought struck, one that he hoped desperately was untrue. _What if she has been hiding from herself? How could it get that bad without any of us noticing._

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, searching inside her magically core for the origins of the spells that held the deeply in-woven glamours up, even in sleep. She slowly removed them, one by one. And instantly felt her body stabilize. The constant glamours had been draining her energy and magic. What she had been doing to protect herself had actually been doing much harm. She kept her eyes closed even as the last charm fell. The quiet gasps were enough, she didn't need to see their looks of disgust.

“Fuck, Alexis.” Severus murmured softly, his eyes quickly scanning over the young woman's body before returning to her face. She wasn't just thin, she wasn't just tired. She was sick. Truly sick. But even as he spoke, a bit of colour returned to her face and she gave the tiniest of smiles, with a soft murmur that he didn't quite catch. But he understood. Hogwarts could not feed her or force her to sleep, but She could very well help heal the young woman by giving her bits of magic stored over thousands of years. Bits of healing magic that would return just a bit of her energy, her life force. But it would be enough to keep her alive and steady on her feet.

“How long, Alexis?” Tim asked quietly. This had not happened over night. The girl was anorexic, yes, but one did not become like this over night. He gently pushed her back into her chair, his wand already in his hand as he started to muttered soft string of Latin. The deeper, more personal spells he would do later, when there was a bit more privacy for the young woman. But it was necessary for him to know now whether or not her organs had started to shut down. Poppy's file had said that the younger woman was not anemic, but that was far from true. She was severely underweight. Without her robes, he was sure they would have been able to count every single one of her ribs. Her bones were knobby and her skin hung tight to them. Dark shadows were around her eyes and her cheeks jaunted out. A simple weight and height spell, although he did prefer traditional scales as they tended to be just as accurate but more visible, told him numbers that he hoped he would not see from this young woman ever again. And yet here they were. She was back to the weight she had been when she had started her apprenticeship with him, but perhaps this time would be easier. She was surrounded by family, which meant help and support.

“A year, perhaps. I do not know, Tim. This last year was a bit of a disaster for everyone, with the last of the 'war' and everything else. How bad?” She murmured, finally opening dull grey eyes. She knew it was not good, of course, but she didn't know how bad. She was surprised though. Instead of disappointment, all she saw on the faces of these men was worry. She had hidden it well, she knew, and she had interfered, as much as she could, with all diagnostic spells cast on her. But now...she had a school to run. And she couldn't do that if she could not make it through the day without fainting. Her students needed her. That resolved her will, right then, to do as much as she could to change this, so that her students did not see a sickly woman without any real authority. They didn't need that. They needed someone they could trust, someone who could take care of and teach them, and damn it she would be that someone.

“More than Nora and Harry, but not by much.” Tim replied dryly, frowning at the latest results. Her magic, and that of the castle, must have been protecting her organs and bones. Although her weight was low, she was malnourished and anemic, her organs were not yet failing. If she had kept up the facade, however, she would have been dead by the end of the year, the end of the next at the latest. She weight more than two twelve year olds, children who had been starved all their lives because of their magic, but that wasn't saying much. Both children were underweight. He could see Severus' nutrition potions seeing much use this summer. “Number wise? Forty kilos. To be healthy you need to gain at least 20 kilos. If you lose much more weight, your organs will shut down.” He added quietly.

“They haven't already?” Severus asked finally, frowning slightly. That was...odd. She was 40 kilos and 170 cm which was quite...small. Her body shouldn't be functioning at all. Oh, how he loved magic.

Alexis closed her eyes briefly and sighed. She had been that small before, when she first met Tim. But that had been the product of several years of starvation. When she had started at Hogwarts, she had been underweight but she had managed to get to within a kilo or two of where she was supposed to be. And now...well now she was far from a kilo. Damn it.

“You need food and sleep. Sleep will probably come first.” Tim remarked quietly, glancing around the room. They all needed some time to come to terms with this and the men could clearly do some of the paperwork so that she could sleep. A few hours of sleep and then a light meal followed by more sleep...they could do that for a day or two. They would have to. She would collapse of exhaustion in another day, starvation in probably less. “No arguments.”

Alexis merely nodded, pointing at a stack of papers. It rose shakily and flew to Remus, as another stack started to fly at Filius. She was tired and her magic was not as strong as it should be, as it normally was. She wasn't going to fight with Tim, she didn't have the energy. She opened her eyes again, turning soft grey eyes to meet dark orbs. “I'm sorry.” She whispered softly, though it carried throughout the room. And she was. She hadn't meant to harm anyone or upset anyone. She had just been...not hungry. But that was something to discuss with Tim later. Although it was clearly anorexia, there could also be other factors there. Important ones.

Severus scoffed softly. “As am I. You are part of our family, Alexis. We will take care of you, even if you wish we didn't. We aren't going anywhere.” His comment was gentle, stern. He meant every word. Every person in this room cared about her, in different ways. Filius had become a bit of an adoptive father to all three of them, Tim an older, eccentric uncle. They would help her, as long as she let them in.

She smiled softly and closed her eyes. The next moment she was being lifted gently out of her chair and carried easily into her bed chambers. She snuggled against Tim for a moment, letting the darkness take over, surrendering to true, peaceful sleep.

-x-

**Four days later.**

Alexis surveyed the Great Hall for a moment, eyes going up and down the long table that they were all sitting at. With the Professors, healers, and the few summer camp counselors who had arrived, the rest would be here in a week, the student to adult ratio was nearly one to one. In the last few days they have had a few more students brought back to the school. Of the fifteen worse causes, ten had been brought back in total. The other five were staying with friends or visiting relatives, in little to no danger at the moment but instructed to contact the school immediately if something happened as well as each given a portkey. Seven others had shown a need, so a total of eighteen students, if they counted Harry with eighteen adults, counting Hagrid. Since the man was in charge of supervising some outside play and all access to the lake, but warned explicitly to not introduce the children to any creatures, no matter how _innocent_ or _cute_ they might be, she did have to count him. There would be more counselors, of both the mind-healing and summer camp type, arriving in a few days. As they were still doing home visits, where some of her staff were currently, actually, there was always a chance for more children to arrive. She had already spoken to each child under her care, when Tim had finally given the okay. She had not liked staying in her bed with no work for three days. But she had slept the majority of it and he had started her eating again. After, of course, discovering a curse that she had been unaware of. Left over from when Albus had saved her. Now that she was hungry and felt like sleeping, well... doing everything again, it was just a battle with slightly disordered thoughts. She could manage. She would. She had a school to run after all.

-x-

The camp would officially start in a few days but they had already given rules to all of the children that morning. Simple rules, like no wandering alone and always telling an adult where they were going. The three counselors currently in residence were suppose to be keeping an eye on the children at all times. The two sixteen year olds, for there were two of them, both with younger siblings, had been drafted to help. The counselors rooms were attached to the students, connected by a door to a room of bunks, a true camp experience, and four-poster beds, for the older students, so that they could help with nightmares or sooth fears. With the help of some of the Professors who had offered, surprisingly enough, to be counselors, there should not have been any child out after curfew. Pomona and Charity were not scary, until they were protecting children, of course, but most children would not cross the two kindly ladies. The two counselors for the younger boys were late twenties, 'cool' and good role models. Apprentices or in the first few years of social work and counseling. A good experience for all the camp counselors, something they needed for their resumes, and a job that all of them had been excited for. Working with children was something all of them, she had made sure, wanted to do. She knew for a fact that they had done bed-checks for all the boys an hour before and everyone had been there. So which child had the guts to sneak out? And to the Astronomy Tower of all places! Alexis moved silently up the last few steps, pausing briefly in the dark shadows. She wanted to see who the child was before she entered the tower.

Harry sat on one of the walls, a bit difficult to clamber up on but he had managed. Severus and Remus said that he could either sleep in their quarters or join those for the camp. He had never been to camp before and although they had told him that he could attend where ever he slept, he had wanted to try it. Surprisingly enough, he missed home. _Home_. A word he never thought he would associate with anything other than Hogwarts. But he did. Home was the place where Severus and Remus bickered over whether chocolate was a breakfast food (it was) or whether football was better than Quidditch (it so wasn't). Home was the place where he felt safe, the place where his nightmares came but weren't so scary. A place were no one would harm him. He liked Charlie and Phil, the two current counselors for the boys, and he knew that he shouldn't be scared of either of them. But men had been nice before. People had been nice before and then they had hurt him. Or sent him back to Uncle. And he knew that Severus and Remus would never let him be sent back, but what if these men did not know that? What if they thought he was a freak, which he was, like uncle had? What if they realized the truth? It was a lot of what ifs and one of the older boys, Jim, had said that while what ifs were all nice and dandy, they weren't solid. They weren't _ands,_ they were _ifs._ Which had been confusing but Lexie had explained it to them, sort of. He understood it now, that it meant that _ifs_ weren't actually, but they could be. They just weren't yet. Lexie had added a lot of confusing things to that too, but that was what he had taken from it. And they wanted them to talk. Charlie and Phil did, as did the healers. But Tim had said that he would stay his healer and that he could still speak with the counselors if he wanted to. He wasn't sure that he wanted to. He didn't like the sharing circle they did earlier. It was so...embarrassing. But at least he wasn't the youngest! Lila was, she was only eleven. Harry sighed, kicking his feet back against the castle. It was so calm out here, it made nightmares carry less power.

Alexis frowned slightly, taking in the mop of inky Hair. If she was correct, she was certain that the child was Harry. And he was...the child had lost his mind. There were wards around the tower, of course, but some were old and if they faltered, not that they would, he would fall off! Damn child shouldn't be sitting on the _wall._ The wall was to keep them on the castle. And if he moved his bottom forward a few inches, he would be outside the ward that ran through the wall. Damn it. Her wand was instantly in her hand and she softly chanted in Latin, expanding the castle's ward, in case any other child was foolish enough to climb on the walls, and forming a protective ward around the child and a sticking charm so that when she spoke, he wouldn't fall off if he was startled. There were wards, of course, that kept people from falling and jumping from the tower, but that didn't mean they didn't fall. They could, they just would be transported into a warded room in the hospital wing. But if they were outside the wards...they would die. He shouldn't even be able to get up there! His head was hardly higher than the wall. “It is a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Potter, but you are out of bounds.” Alexis purred, striding out into the open. The child jumped, or tried to. But the sticking spell on his trousers kept him firmly attached to the wall.

“Professor!” Harry grimaced, looking down and then automatically looking away. Down was far away and it was a bit dizzying.

“Mr. Potter, there is a sticking spell currently on you, as you were sitting outside the wards on the castle. It should not have allowed you up there to begin with. However, I would like to bring you off the wall. May I?” Alexis asked dryly, frowning slightly at the thought. The wards shouldn't have let the boy pass them and he shouldn't have been able to cancel them out. She found her mental link to the castle and checked the wards of the tower. They had been lowered...by McGonagall. As Deputy, she had had that power. Damn woman. She sent her magic out once more, rechecking all of the wards. She had checked the castle wards the other day and they had all seemed fine, but she had done it en-mass. She quickly checked each individual ward on every part of the castle, the gate and doors included, raising the wards on all of the towers back up and fixing a few weakened wards. She had gotten much faster at raising and checking the wards, but it still took her a few minutes. Minutes where the child merely stared at her. “Mr. Potter?”

“You may, professor.” Harry replied softly, staring at the stone floor of the tower. Here was yet another example of the weirdness. The professors were so confused, uncle would say. They didn't treat him like they should. Even though the professor wasn't happy with him, she didn't seem really angry and he knew that she wouldn't hurt him. Plus she was _asking_ before she touched him and people who wanted to hurt him wouldn't ask.

Alexis gave a brisk nod, striding forward and plucking the child off the wall while removing the sticking spell. She was wearing a glamour, of course, but not as intensive as before and she had not cast it. Tim had agreed to help her out, so that the children wouldn't see how weak their professor was. The underweight child, while normally would not have been difficult to lift, was. Once she had him away from the wall, she automatically set him down, but gripped his shoulder briefly. “If I ever catch you on that wall again Mr. Potter, or on any tower wall or ledge, you will not be a happy boy. Do I make myself clear?” She asked sternly, looking into deep green eyes.

Harry dropped his eyes with a rapid nod. “Yes ma'am.” He murmured softly.

“Good boy.”

His eyes snapped up, shocked. He was breaking the rules and she still thought he was good? Adults were crazy here.

She gave the child a small smile, crouching so that she was on his level. “Let me be clear, Harry. I do not want you to be on this tower alone. I am happy with your agreement to stay off the walls. Do you understand why I do not want you climbing on these walls and ledges? And why you are not supposed to be on this tower, or most of the others, alone?” She asked gently, placing her fingers under his chin so that he had to meet her eyes. Her hand still rested on his shoulder. She wasn't really angry at the child. Unhappy that he would do something so dangerous, but not angry. It was, however, to be expected. She knew that all of the children this summer would be pushing them and testing boundaries, because many of them had never had any reasonable boundaries or adults who actually cared for them.

Harry hesitated, thinking it over. He wasn't really sure why she was upset that he had been on the walls. It was dangerous, perhaps, without the wards. But why would anyone care if he did something dangerous. Severus and Remus did, of course, or they said they did anyway. But why should she? There were more important people here than him. “It was dangerous?” He said finally.

“Yes, Harry. It was dangerous for you to be on the wall. You could have fallen and you would have been severely harmed or killed. This tower is dangerous because it is far away from the closest person for help. You could easily get hurt and no one would know. You aren't allowed up here alone for _your_ safety. I know you might not believe this Harry, but many people, myself included, care greatly about you. Many people would be devastated if something happened to you, and all because you were doing something so careless. Rules are there for a reason. If you do not understand them, ask.” Alexis replied firmly, easily hiding her rage at the shock in the child's eyes. That muggle would pay for his treatment of this child, as would all the guardians of those children in her care. No child should doubt his worth.

When she said it like that, it made him feel bad. He didn't mean to worry anyone. He just wanted air, to be outside. It helped him calm down. “I won't do it again, Professor.” He whispered softly, wishing that he didn't have to meet her eyes. Those grey eyes were very haunting sometimes.

He probably would, but hopefully not at night. “Was there a reason you came here, Harry?” She asked with a raised eyebrow. There better be or he'd have a different punishment.

“Yes, professor. It...I wanted to go outside. It's...calming.” Harry replied softly, looking away.

Ah. Nightmares then. “The next time, Harry, wake one of your counselors or guardians. Let an adult know and perhaps they will go outside with you so that you are not breaking the rules.” Alexis remarked, still sternly but softer. “Now then, it is time for me to walk you back to the camp quarters. Unless you rather sleep in your quarters?” She questioned, motioning the child toward the stairwell.

“No, Professor. I don't want to wake them. Camp's okay.” Harry gulped, staring down at his feet. He didn't want her to wake Severus or Remus, he knew they'd be angry at him. She had released his shoulder with a final squeeze and he hesitantly started toward the stairs.

Alexis stood from her crouch, moving quickly so that she was beside the child instead of behind him. She had caught that brief flash of hesitation. It was a silent trip down the stairs and back to the third floor. She stopped outside the door to the common room for the camp. “Now, Mr. Potter. As for your punishment, and no, I didn't forget, I want an essay on why you should follow the rules, as well as any rules you do not understand. Do you think you can do that?” She asked briskly, looking down at the small child.

“Yes, professor. When?” Harry asked, staring down at the ground.

“In two days time, you may either give it to Severus or bring it to me.” Alexis smirked, knowing very well that he would not give it to Severus. Probably. “Now, let's get you back into bed before your counselors become concerned.” She added softly, opening the door and motioning the child through. Right on time too, as a frantic looking, slightly younger man span around to look at them.

“Harry! Thank goodness. I woke up and you were gone. You shouldn't leave like that!” Charlie scolded, crouching down a few feet away from the child, so that he was on his level. Charlie was on the tall side, athletic and kind. Blond hair was frazzled and everywhere, blue eyes relieved, finally, to have found the child. He had woken up and decided to check on the boys and Harry had been gone. There was a monitoring charm on _every_ bed. He would have to use a different charm on the child's if he was prone to removing those charms. Harry shouldn't have even known that it was there! But that was another thing to discuss with the Headmistress, who looked dead on her feet underneath the glamour, in the morning.

“I'm sorry, Charlie. I didn't mean to worry you. I just wanted to go for a walk.” Harry whispered staring down at his feet.

“It's alright Harry. Off to bed with you, and let's not leave these rooms again without letting me know, alright?”

“Yes, sir.” Harry murmured, briefly looking up at him before turning green eyes to the Headmistress. She looked tired like he was. “Goodnight Professor.” He added, darting down the hallway that led to the rooms for the boys.

“Where did you find him?” Charlie asked tiredly, briefly scrutinizing the headmistress. The glamour she wore would keep the children from noticing, but some adult wizards could see through lower level glamours, or those cast by another person. Most healers could see through the lower glamours, as noted this morning when all of them turned to stare at her with mouths agape. He hadn't, and wouldn't, ask about her...state but he also didn't feel good about her walking all the way back to her own quarters.

“Astronomy Tower. I believe he had a nightmare.” Alexis gave a small shrug, glancing toward the fireplace. Flooing sounded like a grand idea right now, if she wouldn't fall on her face the moment she landed.

“Thank you, Professor. I was worried.” He admitted quietly, striding toward the fireplace and gathering some floo powder. “I believe it would be prudent for me to escort you back to your quarters via floo.” He added silkily. He wasn't a Slytherin for nothing, after all. He could easily convince her, if he wasn't tired.

Alexis laughed softly, shaking her head with a smirk. “That it would be.” She murmured, taking the offered arm and allowing him to help her through the floo. Once in her quarters he grinned, waved goodnight and disappeared back to watch over his boys. She sighed, stalking to her own bed and dropping on to it. It was quite time for all of Hogwarts' residents to be asleep.

-x-


	7. Fears

Tim bit back a sigh, gazing at the younger woman who was playing with her food. He knew her mind was somewhere else, but she would never become healthy if she did not actually eat the food. “Alexis.” He called finally, causing gray eyes to look up at him.

Alexis groaned, twirling her fork briefly. She did not want to eat, she could not eat. There was work to be done, lists of things left to be handled before the beginning of the semester. Granted, it was the first week of July. But the summer camp would officially start tomorrow, with nearly all of the children already in the castle. Forty- nine boys and girls between the ages of ten and seventeen. The ten year old would be eleven by September first and the seventeen year old was going to help with the summer programmes. An extra set of hands and eyes would not go amiss. But that didn't mean that she was not anxious. Over half of the children were muggleborn or raised, with a smattering of half and pure bloods. Blood did not matter here, but these children did. Each of them needed love and care, each of them needed guidance. There were a few muggleborns to check up on still, and one or two more homes to visit, but camp was starting. Tomorrow. _Fuck._

Tim frowned down at the younger woman, glad that she had decided to eat in her quarters. It would not do for the children to see their Headmistress so...out of it. She had yet to take a single bit of food since they had began this meal, his own plate was already finished. She hadn't even touched her tea. With a quick decision, he removed the fork from her fingers, filling it with food before lifting it to the young woman's lips. “Open.” He ordered quietly. She obeyed with the same distant look in her eyes, allowing him to place the forkful into her mouth, automatically chewing and swallowing. He repeated the act four more times, until she finally blinked, startled gray eyes meeting brown.

“Sorry Tim. I was...thinking.” She muttered, flushing slightly. She took the fork from him, hesitating before slowly returning to eating. It was not, admittedly, the first time he had acted as such. When she had first became his apprentice and refused to eat, he had taken similar actions. It was better, however, than his special stinging spell, the one that he taught her to use for runaways and foolish apprentices.

"That is alright, Alexis. Finish your breakfast, you can work afterward." He replied quietly, squeezing her shoulder before taking up his own paperwork. It was summer, after all, there was always paperwork.

-x-

"Harry! Teddy! Come play with us" Harry grimaced, looking away from the group of eleven and twelve year olds. Charlie had told them this morning that the camp would start tomorrow, with lots of activities. He was looking forward to the flying, of course, but that did not mean he wanted to play with the others. Not now, anyway. Didn't they get it? They had no homes now. Charlie had explained that they were all here for a reason and he knew that the older boys had scars like his. Perhaps they all did. They were all unwanted, how could they possibly want to play. He shook his head at the girl beckoning to him, glancing over to the nearby tree where Teddy sat. Theodore Nott, a Slytherin rising Third year. To say he was surprised that the other boy was here would be an understatement. Phil had warned them to not tease or taunt anyone else but to listen, if they could, if someone wanted to talk. But Phil had also said that that was what the counselors were all there for, anyway. Him and Rani were outside with them, keeping an eye on the groups of kids who were wandering about and playing games. But he, Harry, did not want to play tag. He hated tag. Because then he had to run and his mind would freeze in fear and someone would get hurt and he'd be in trouble and-

"Hey Potter." Teddy muttered, dropping to sit beside Harry under the large Oak. Phil and Charlie wanted him to be more...social with the other boys. Since they were in charge of his 'cabin', he knew he had to mind them. Besides that, Harry had also been told to try being social. So they could be social together. In silence.

Harry glanced at the brown haired, sort of mousy boy. Light brown eyes caught his for a moment before returning to cloud watching. "Teddy." He murmured back, wishing that they were near the lake. He wanted to watch the Squid, but he'd settle for watching the game unfold. He glanced at the slightly older boy again. It was a testament to what the Headmistress had said the night before, that house affiliation and blood status did not matter here. Teddy's silence was like his, he never spoke in group meetings either, unless asked directly. It was odd though, the group meetings. They were both always with a group of the older teens, while most of the other kids in their cabin were with their age group. Out of the eleven in their cabin, they were the only two in the group of older boys from the other two cabins. Charlie and Jake, one of the counselors for the older boys, led that group but it was a bit difficult for him to follow at times. He didn't always know what they were talking about but he knew he was much better at expressing what he was feeling than some of the younger boys, perhaps just not as well as the older ones.

Teddy watched the clouds form and grow for several minutes before glancing at Harry. The other boy was gazing blankly at the group of mindless children chasing each other. How he loathed tag. It meant someone had to _touch_ him and usually they shoved and it would hurt and then he'd get angry and hit back. Then he'd be in trouble and his father would find out and then-

"Teddy, Harry. Don't you want to play with the other kids?" Phil asked quietly, stopping to crouch down next to the two boys. His hair was black with blue tips this week, bringing out the blue in his eyes. It matched his personality perfectly, he was just glad that Tim was able to see past the hair, not many in their profession chose to. Both boys seemed lost in their own worlds, both held a sense of panic in their eyes when he had first spoke. Harry merely looked at him as Teddy stiffened, a mask covering both of their faces. Most of the younger children were not heavily abused. They had older siblings or cousins to protect them, or they were forgotten about and neglected. But these two boys and one of the girls from the younger cabins, were as heavily abused as some of the older teenagers. Out of the nearly fifty children, a group of about fifteen held the heaviest abuse cases. Twelve teenaged girls and boys, as well as three children. Two of them were sitting in front of him, blank eyes and coiled bodies, waiting for a strike that would never come. He bit back a sigh and stayed quite a few feet away. Charlie was better with these two than he was, but then Charlie had a past himself.

Harry glanced at Teddy and met his eyes briefly, before shaking his head. "No sir. I don't like tag." He murmured.

"Me either." Teddy added quietly, nodding quickly. He knew, rationally, that Phil would not harm them, but he was still waiting for the other shoe to drop, waiting for the bad stuff to start. Granted, Severus was his head of house and had never harmed him, not in two years. The man had even kept his promise to help him and that meant a lot. He didn't just remove him from his home either, but he set him up with the healer, Tim, so that he could have someone to talk to and to help him through his self harm. His self harm was different than Harry's, he knew. He also knew that other boy reacted on instinct much like he did. But instead of a blade, Harry hit his head and clawed his skin. He also knew that both of their counselors were keeping an eye on them, they were rarely left by themselves for long.

"Well...what kind of games do you like to play?" Phil asked calmly, gazing between the two boys. Harry was the more impulsive of the two, he knew. Twice now the boy had left in the middle of the night, although the second time he did not make it past the common room before they were aware of it. As he had spent the night before with his guardians and tonight as well, they wanted him with them on weekends as much as possible, it had not been a problem. But he hoped that the boy would not sneak out tomorrow. Teddy, on the other hand, was even quieter than Harry and extremely withdrawn.

"Gobstones and Exploding Snap are fun." Harry glanced at the other boy, shrugging slightly. He didn't know very many wizarding or muggle games, really. He was just starting to get use to the toys and games Severus and Remus had bought him.

"Dragons." Teddy scowled when the older man looked at him. At Harry's look of confusion he grinned. The younger boy did not know much about wizarding culture, he knew, just as he did not know much about non-magical culture. Perhaps he could teach the other boy? That would make Phil and Charlie happy, at least. "We can play dragons, Harry."

Harry bit his lip, his face bland. He did not know how to play dragons, although he did have a few dragon figures in his room. "With what?"

"My dragons are..."Teddy quickly looked away, falling silent. He had forgotten. His father had destroyed his toys, all of them. He hadn't told anyone though, because he was getting too old for toys. Wasn't he?

"Where are your dragons, Teddy?" Phil prompted gently. His face might be a mask but the child's eyes were not.

"Nowhere." Teddy snapped, standing and taking off toward the castle.

"Teddy!" Harry scowled at Phil briefly, before following the boy at a trot. They were getting along perfectly fine until Phil started being nosy!

Phil groaned, slapping his head hard before quickly glancing around. Thankfully none of the children noticed. He didn't need them believing that it was acceptable to hit oneself. He caught Rani's eyes and jerked his head toward the castle. She gave a brisk nod and he took off after the boys, hoping that they hadn't crawled into a space where his lanky form would not fit. But long legs did mean he should catch up with the two small boys quickly.

-x-

Alexis grimaced as a small body collided with her. The child fell backwards as she steadied herself on the wall briefly. She glanced down at the little body, who sat trembling, staring at the ground, and then down the empty hallway. Another little body came dashing around the corner. "Mr. Potter! Stop running please!" She called quickly, recognizing the mop of inky hair. The boy thankfully slowed down before he could crash into the other child.

"Teddy!" He shouted, grimacing as the headmistress raised an eyebrow at him, before lowering his voice. "Teddy?"

Alexis sighed, turning her eyes back to the child on the ground. She reached a hand down to him, raising a slight eyebrow as he flinched backwards. The boy finally took it, allowing her to pull him back to his feet. She crouch down in front of him, so that she was on the same level as the two twelve year olds. Both would be turning thirteen soon and both should not be alone in the hallway, nor running. She motioned to Harry and the young boy came to stand beside his friend. "Who wants to tell me what's going on?" She asked quietly, gray eyes moving between the two boys. They did not act like children who had been fighting, but there was fear there, behind Teddy's eyes.

Teddy bit his lip, staring at the floor. He knew he'd be in trouble when she found out that he took off, but he hadn't expected her to be walking down the hallway, hadn't seen the headmistress. Nor had he expected Harry to come after him. It almost made him feel...grateful, that the other boy would care enough to check on him.

Harry frowned, glancing at Teddy. The other boy clearly wasn't going to say anything but he didn't want to get his friend in trouble. "We didn't want to play tag." He murmured finally.

Alexis' eyebrows shot up. That was one of the worst excuses she had ever heard, and she had heard quite a few as a teacher and a healer. "Be that as it may, why are you not with your group?" She asked sternly. Harry, too, turned his eyes to the ground, but not before flicking them to Teddy. "You are not in trouble, boys. I would just like to know what the cause of this was, so that we can either prevent it from happening again or make it better." She added quietly, sighing.

"You can't make it better." Teddy muttered under his breath.

Alexis turned sharp eyes to the brown haired boy, shaking her head slightly. Teddy was much more withdrawn than Harry was, although Harry, too, had a hard shell to get through. "Why is that Teddy? What can't I make better?" She asked softly, causing his eyes to snap up. Light brown eyes met hers briefly before darting away. "Look at me, Mr. Nott." She added sternly. His eyes came up again but did not quite meet hers. Better, anyways.

"I wanted to teach Harry how to play Dragons but my dragons..." Teddy trailed off, dropping his eyes back to his feet as they started to sting. He was no sissy, he would not cry over dumb toys, even if they had been his favourite.

Ah. That was much clearer, then. "I believe Mr. Potter has a few dragons that he can loan you, Mr. Nott. Until we can get you some of your own to have. After all, if I am correct, you do have a birthday coming up." Alexis replied, smirking when the child looked up with bright eyes. She wasn't quite sure which, but she had a feeling that the child's toys had been destroyed or taken away from him. Even if he was nearly thirteen, he still deserved toys and games. After all, bored boys caused trouble and she couldn't be having that. "Is that alright with you, Mr. Potter?" She asked the younger boy, who nodded rapidly. With a small smile she pulled out her wand, quickly losing that smile when Teddy flinched backwards. _Damn it._ "Accio Harry's dragons." She called sharply, replacing her wand in its sheaf. "I will not harm you, Teddy. I promised you that, remember? You are safe here at Hogwarts. You both are." Her quiet comment caused the boy to look up briefly before flushing and looking away. She merely shook her head, turning to catch the box of dragons that came zooming at them. She handed them over to Harry, raising an eyebrow at the tall, lanky man-child who came careening around the corner. "Do stop running, Phil." She scolded, causing both boys to giggle.

Phil grimaced as he forced his body to stop instantly, so that he would not crash into the two underweight boys and the skeletal headmistress. Really, that woman needed to _eat._ But, although he was not as subtle as Charlie, he would not ask questions about her condition. Tim had made it clear to everyone that she was in his care, more power to her. He wouldn't want to be in Tim's care. But he was digressing, and he knew it. "Sorry, Headmistress. I was just looking for these two." He replied finally, catching his breath.

"Ah yes. I was wondering why they were off on their own. Perhaps you would like to tell Phil, Teddy?" Alexis requested, turning her eyes back to the little boy. She was still crouched on their level and was pleased to see Phil crouch down as well. Although it seemed to make the boys nervous, to have someone both in front of and behind them.

Teddy grimaced, turning sideways so he could see them both. Phil had angled himself so that he would be in sight anyway, but he didn't really like having his back turned. He knew the headmistress would not harm him, but Phil had every right to be angry at them. But the man did not look angry, just...concerned. "I was...upset and angry. Because...I just was." He scowled finally.

"I understand that Teddy. But you cannot take off every time you get upset. Next time, let's talk about it first, alright? If something I say upsets you or a question I ask makes you angry, tell me. " Phil replied quietly. He was not angry with the children, not at all. He should had expected it and he did, from Harry at least. But Teddy was not the child he thought would just take off and it had taken him a bit of time to track them down. Little legs but they moved fast and they knew this castle better than he did. He finally remembered to cast a Point Me spell, luckily they hadn't gotten too far.

Teddy stared at the floor, giving a slight nod. "Yes sir. Sorry." He knew he shouldn't had run off, it was just instinct. He glanced over at Harry and bit back a grin. The other boy had removed a dragon from the box and was staring at it in fascination.

"You also shouldn't have taken off Harry, although I do understand why you did." Phil scolded, causing the boy to glance away from his box of dragons for a brief moment.

Harry dropped his eyes to the floor, grimacing. "Sorry sir." He murmured, before once more being drawn back to the dragons.

"Alright then, why don't we head back outside?" Phil suggested, smiling at the two boys as he straighten from his crouch. Two rapid nods came as his answer.

"A moment, please." Alexis remarked before either child could move. With a small movement of her wrist, she cast a wandless, silent diagnostic spell of Teddy. He had ran into her and hit the floor, after all. A bit of bruising but he would be alright. The spell spread out to Harry, coming back fine, before it spread once more. She was about to stop the spell when she frowned, glancing up at Phil with sharp eyes. "Alright. Teddy, you have a few bruises from your fall, so no rough housing boys." She dismissed, causing the two boys to grin. She doubted either would rough house, they were just not the type. They took off at a run, past Phil before he could so much as move. "Halt!" She scolded. Both boys skid to a stop, glancing back at her. "Do not run and wait for Phil. The three of you will walk _together._ " She ordered sternly.

"Yes Ma'am." They chorused instantly, turning impatient eyes to Phil.

"Phil? Come see me during your free time." Alexis added quietly, for his ears alone. He gave a brisk nod, turning and walking to his two boys and she stood from her crouch. They disappeared around the corner and she leaned against the wall, closing her eyes. Well, that had been interesting.

-x-

Alexis glanced up from her writing at the knock that sounded on her office door. She worked in her office much less than in her quarters, but she knew that she also had to be available if she was needed. And she had requested for one of the counselors to come see her. She had a feeling it was him. "Enter." She called, setting the parchment aside. She could easily finish the letter later, after all one of the donors to the new summer programme could wait for a few minutes. That, and she knew the Malfoys would be fine with the update whenever she sent it.

Phil hesitated, shifting restlessly for a moment before pushing open the door. He had no idea why she wanted to see him, unless to scold him for letting the boys take off. But for some reason, he doubted that. She just did not seem like that type. "You wanted to see me, Headmistress?" He asked quietly, glancing at her.

"Alexis, Phil. And I did. Have a seat. "Alexis sighed, shaking her head good-naturally as he sat down in one of the chairs on the other side of her desk. For some reason it was nearly impossible to get the counselors to call her by her given name. They weren't that much younger than her! Some of them were even _older._

"What can I do for you, Hea- Alexis?" Phil asked politely, catching himself in time. It felt strange to call his superior by her first name, but he had also heard her tell a few of the older _teenagers_ to call her Alexis, at least in private. Perhaps she just wasn't comfortable with her title just yet. That still, however, did not answer the question as to why she wanted to see him.

"I was wondering if you could explain something to me, Phil. You see, I cast a simple, questing, diagnostic spell earlier. I'm sure you know the one, it is often used in crowds of children to detect who was actually hurt and who is the worst hurt." She remarked dryly, keeping gray eyes on him. He barely hid a grimace, his face becoming a polite, blank mask.

"I do, Headmistress." Phil replied emotionlessly. _She couldn't have found out. I hide it too well._

"You might imagine my surprise when it stopped persistently on you. Before I could end the spell, as I do not tend to invade my staff members privacy, I noticed something...unusual and, quite frankly, alarming." Her statement was meet with silence and a blank mask. But his body language spoke volumes. Phil had curled his hands into fists, digging his nails into his palms, resting them on his lap. She knew it was a struggle for him to keep from crossing his arms. "Phillip, talk to me please." She instructed finally.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Headmistress." He replied blandly, suppressing a glare at the use of his full first name.

"Do not lie to me." Alexis hissed, gray eyes steel.

Phil visibly flinched, letting his mask slip. Gone was the blank slate, replaced quickly by anger. "It is nothing to concern yourself with." He growled.

"That is where you are wrong. You are on my staff in my school. I care for my students and my staff. You need this job and we need you here. I need to know what is going on, Phil." Alexis replied quietly, watching him closely. If he tried to bolt, he would not be happy. He did seem ready to do so, after all.

"You need no such thing. I'm not the one starving to death!" Phil snapped, standing and moving rapidly to the door. It had been a low blow, he knew, and he also was aware that he might possibly lose his job over this, a job he loved and needed. But he had spoken in anger, without thinking it through first. He grabbed the door and then yelped. The stinging spell that had hit his bottom was one he hadn't felt in a few years. His mentor had used the same spell. Hell, most Mind Healers used the same stinging spell. The door was, unfortunately, locked as well. He spun around to glare at her and was surprised to not see anger in her eyes. She wasn't happy but she also wasn't..angry. Damn woman.

"Phillip Lee Jones. You do not take off when I am speaking to you." Alexis scolded, frowning at the slightly younger man. She knew the spell hurt, it was suppose to. The spell was designed to not cause permanent damage but to linger. It could make sitting down quite uncomfortable for stretches of time in larger doses. The dose she sent at him should not make him uncomfortable for longer than an hour. "Sit down, now. "She ordered briskly, leaving no room for arguments.

Phil grimaced, glancing at the chair with a sigh. His full name, however, was quite the indicator that she was not happy at all. It made him feel like a naughty school boy, like one of his children that he had to scold. He sat down slowly, flinching slightly, before looking up again. He did not, however, meet her eyes.

"Do not try to run from me again. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am." He replied quietly, dropping his eyes back to his feet.

"Phil, look at me." Alexis ordered, sighing softly. Blue eyes finally met hers, before looking away. She could see the shame there, but there was also...fear. Fear of what, she was not quite sure. Perhaps of what she would say or do. Perhaps even of what she wouldn't say or do. " I know the signs of self injury, Phil. I am a mind healer, it is something I have seen often enough to recognize. The injuries that registered on my scan seem self injurious in nature. Including the slight new bruise on your forehead. So talk to me."

Phil grimaced, looking down and wiggling in his chair. It was a bit painful to sit at the moment, he hated that spell. He was also...uncomfortable. He had made it through his social work and counseling training without any one finding out. Even his mentor had not known and he knew that Tim was unaware, even if Tim was the reason he was working here. "I...yes." He replied finally.

"You are a great mentor and role model for those young boys, Phil. I am quite glad that we had you here. I am, however, going to require you to speak with Tim. He is the healer for _all_ of the staff, including the camp counselors." Alexis stated finally, causing startled blue eyes to meet hers.

"You...want to keep me?" He asked uncertainly, confused. Most people would not want a self harmer around their children.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I? There is one recovered self harmer on staff, at least. I do not chose my staff based on their personal issues, Phil. I just ask that they are able to handle their lives while still taking care of my children. Because Hogwarts' children are quite important to me and they deserve the best we can give them. The boys adore you, I see no reason to remove you because of how you deal with stress. I just ask two things. One, that you never harm yourself in front of the children, in any way, shape, or form. We do not need them copying that behaviour. And secondly, that you submit to random medical scans." She replied calmly. They were not outlandish requests, actually. All of the children who had been found to harm themselves also had medical scans, weekly for the active harmers. It was not to shame them or even prevent injury, but to check them for injuries and make sure that they were doing alright. To check for infection and illness because of those wounds. Because as much as she wanted to, she could not stop her students from harming themselves if they were so determined. Of course, the self harmers were watched closely by their heads of house and their counselors. They would also all be talking to a healer, even the adult ones. They would do their best to prevent harm, but it was not always guaranteed. If a child, or adult, wanted to harm themselves badly enough, they would, even after they had their tools taken away. Even if they ended up in the hospital wing or their Head of House's guest quarters. It didn't happen often, but it did happen. She would do everything in her power to help her students and staff, to help them stop harming themselves.

Phil grimaced but nodded. It made sense and it was logical. He knew Tim check each of the self harmers during their sessions. He just didn't want to be one of them. "And if the scans are not...great?" He asked cautiously.

"Are you planning to do serious harm to yourself?" Alexis asked sharply, breathing a bit easier when he shook his head. His eyes said that he wasn't lying there. "I believe you already know the answer to this. Tim or I would put you under restriction, to either the hospital wing or one of our quarters, if it became necessary. But let's hope it doesn't become necessary." She responded evenly, raising an eyebrow at him. His injuries, a series of shallow cuts, scratches, and bruises, were not great but they were also not as bad as they could be. It showed everything of an occasional harmer, not an addicted self harmer.

"Alright. I assume you will inform Tim." He sighed, glancing away before meeting her eyes again. He was not as serious a self harmer as he used to be. It was now a sometimes thing, usually only when he was angry with himself or frustrated. There was something else he needed to say though, and he knew it.

"I shall. Now, unless you wish to divulge your soul to me, on with you." Alexis dismissed, reaching for her parchment.

Phil stood slowly, stretching and grateful that the sting was now fading. It would have been embarrassing if his boys had noticed. They probably wouldn't have, but Charlie would have and he would have teased him endlessly. "Headmistress...Alexis. I apologize for my earlier words. I was angry and cruel. I did not mean...I am sorry." He remarked quietly, meeting her eyes for a moment before looking away.

"I know, Phil. I was aware that they were spoken in anger." Alexis replied softly, gray eyes warm. He nodded and headed toward the door. "However, if you ever speak in such a way to me in front of students or if you try to run from me again, you will deeply regret it Phillip." She purred dangerously, causing the young man to shiver. She watched him leave for a moment before putting her head in her hands and closing her eyes. Merlin, it was going to be a long summer.

 


	8. First Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess I'll add a fair warning that there is a small bit of corporeal punishment of a minor here, which is rare within this story but might happen again later. It will not, however, become a primarily discipline story. There are some places where it is just necessary and there are more threats of spankings and stinging spells than actual actions. Partially because the adults here realize that these are abused kids and partially because it goes against their nature to discipline children as such. Usually it is adults, thus far in this story, who experience stinging spells and the like. But alas, if you don't like it, so be it. ~Cas

The first day of camp was hectic so far. Organized chaos. And Tim wondered why she was not sleeping lately. The day had started out as calmly as any day with so many children could. The craft project the younger group had started went well, although she might have to have a word to Charity about giving pre-teens paint and spoons...The older group, as they had decided to break the children into two groups, in the hopes of being able to keep their interest and giving them challenging enough activities, had started with sports. Which should have been fine. Nothing should have gone wrong in a scrimmage football game. The muggleborns had asked for it and taught the ones who did not know how to play over the weekend. A simple football game should not have ended with one student in the infirmary and another sent to her. The angry boy sitting in her office, Elijah, had not started a fight or accidentally injured his fellow camper. No, the fifteen year old had, seemingly at random, attacked another boy. Alexis sighed, surveying the boy for a moment before glancing down at his file. She knew what it said of course, and she knew which group he was a part of. He was in her office because he refused to cooperate with Jake and Henry. Nor had he spoken a word in the last ten minutes. “Will you tell me what happened Mr. Lecore?” She asked finally, gray eyes meeting defiant, angry green.

Elijah looked down, glaring at his shoes. He didn't have to talk to her. To anyone. He was alone and he knew it. No one gave a damn, so he didn't either.

“I cannot help if I do not know what is wrong, Elijah.” Alexis remarked dryly, eyes on the teenager. This age was always one of the difficult ones, when they felt like the world was against them already, without the addition of abuse. Unbrushed brown hair; rumpled torn clothes; the anger he wore like a cloak...it was not just a defiant teenager, but a hurting one.

“Nothing is wrong.” Elijah shrugged, arms crossed, feet tapping.

“You hit Mr. Green, Elijah. If I am not mistaken, you hit him several times before Jake managed to pull you off of him. That does not say that nothing is wrong to me. Something is clearly wrong.” Alexis drawled, raising an eyebrow at the boy. He flushed briefly before the mask came back up.

“So expel me already.” Elijah shrugged again, indifferent. He didn't really care. He had no where to go, it was true, but at least then no one would be pretending to care about him.

“Do you want to be expelled, Elijah?” She hadn't mentioned expulsion at all, nor was it an option. The child was staying at Hogwarts where he would be taken care of and loved. She knew he did not want to go back to his family and even if he did, legally he was a ward of Hogwarts now. They had easily given up custody of him.

“It doesn't matter. No one cares, either way.” Elijah snapped, glaring out the window.

“That is where you are wrong. I care, Elijah.” Alexis replied quietly. That was the crux of the matter then, an issue she knew she would have to address a dozen more times. Some of the children, no matter how heavily abused, would feel abandoned. Because their parents had given them up, even if those parents had nearly killed them. It was the unknown now, not knowing what would happen to them and believing that no one should care about them, if their own families did not.

Elijah snorted, turning his gaze back to the young Headmistress. It was all a lie, he knew. She couldn't care about him, there were too many other students that needed her attention. He was alone and he knew it. “You don't.” He hissed finally, meeting her eyes. But her eyes were not pitying or impatient. But rather..concerned. Damn woman.

“Oh? If that was true, would I take the time to talk with you? If I did not care, why then would I not just hand down punishment and sent you on your way? I care, Elijah. I care not only because you are one of my students, nor merely because you are one of my wards. I care about _you,_ Elijah. I care if you pass Herbology or eat your vegetables, if you are happy or angry. I care if you are upset or lonely, sick or hurting. There are forty-nine children at Hogwarts so far this summer. Nineteen, so far, are direct wards of the school, of Hogwarts' Headmistress. Including you, Elijah. Perhaps you do not believe that someone can care for nineteen children as individuals, but I must disagree with you. Hogwarts is a family and, as a family, cares about and loves each child here. As the head of this family, I do care about _you_ , whether or not you choose to believe that. You are not alone, Elijah. I am here for you. But you have to talk to me. I cannot help if you do not.” She stated quietly, sharp eyes watching the young man in front of her. He was shaking slightly, legs jiggling.

Elijah forced his body to still, or tried to anyway. It was a nervous habit, stupid and childish. Perhaps she might actually care. But no one could _love_ a freak like him. Hadn't his father made that clear to him, time and again? But she would not hurt him, he did not know how he knew, he just did. Her eyes were kind and concerned, so different from the eyes of most adults. His bunk counselors, and even his teachers, not included. They also held concern in their eyes, although sometimes he saw pity. He so hated pity. He didn't need their pity. Not at all. But her care...perhaps he did need that. Not that he would ever admit it to anyone, of course. He was a man after all, and men did not admit such foolishness aloud. “I was...angry. Not at Phil, he was just there, in the way.” He offered finally, meeting her eyes for a brief moment longer before looking down at his lap. He was no better than his father, to attack a bystander out of rage.

“Why were you angry?” She questioned softly.

“Mum sent an owl. Said they signed me over and didn't want me anymore. Didn't need me anymore.” He muttered, biting the inside of his cheek. He wasn't going to cry. It shouldn't bother him, he knew that they had hated him. But it did hurt, to be so unwanted.

Ah. That made sense then. Her student was hurting and she understood why. Completely. She moved slowly, making sure to make a bit of noise, so that he would not be startled, standing and walking around her desk. She crouched down near his chair, so that they were on eye level, slowly reaching out and resting a gentle, firm hand on his shoulder. “Look at me, Elijah.” She ordered softly. Green eyes bright with unshed tears met hers. “You are not alone. You hear me? You have a family here, at Hogwarts, if you will let us become your family. You are not unwanted or unloved. I care, Elijah. I care.”

Words should not make him fall apart. He was suppose to be emotionless, empty. But he was not. At her last words, tears started to run down his cheeks. Perhaps she was right. It hurt so much, to be abandoned by his family. So much. But her care...it helped. And so he cried.

Alexis opened her arms wordlessly, catching an armful of gangly teenager as he fell into the hug he desperately needed, comfort that he was foreign to. “You are safe. You are loved. You are cared about.” She whispered softly, the mantra she herself had used in the past. She kept whispering comforting nonsense until he slowly calmed down, before he finally pulled back. She kept an hand on his shoulder, conjuring a wet flannel and gently wiping his face. Elijah flinched but relaxed quickly. This hurting young man trusted her, and that, more than anything, told her that she was getting through to him.

-x-

“I like this, Harry. It is a beautiful piece.” Remus remarked, studying the canvas thoughtfully. He had seen several of the other children's pieces drying in the Great Hall and it was all quite unique. The mixture of colours that Harry had used were not as bright as some of the other paintings and there was no pink anywhere. It had dark colours and tones, splattered seemingly at random. But there was a pattern there that he could detect. The idea of throwing spoonfuls of paint at canvas was different, to say the least. And therapeutic as well. Art was therapeutic, after all, and the act of throwing away anger or hurt with paint was perhaps refreshing for some of these children. It was lunch time and although he was a bit surprised that Harry had sought him out, he was also pleased.

Harry frowned down at the canvas, covered in dark blues, purples and greys. It was not bright and pretty, nor did he think of it as beautiful. It was more of a dark work, something that wasn't necessarily happy. His was less dark than Teddy's though. Teddy's painting had been black and red, apparently concerning to Charlie. His friend wasn't at lunch, so he figured he would see Remus. He didn't want to admit it, not aloud anyway, but he liked being around his guardians. They were...nice and caring. They also made him feel safe.

“Can you tell me about your painting, Harry?” Remus asked quietly, turning warm brown eyes back on the silent child. He caught sight of one of Harry's counselors, looking searchingly around the Great Hall and bit back a sigh. Harry had this habit of just disappearing, the child was not used to people wanting to know where he was. He caught the younger man's eyes and gave a slight inclination of his head. He had Harry, all was well. He knew Phil, for he believed the blue-haired young man was Phil, would understand that silent message. He turned his eyes back to focus completely on Harry.

“It's just paint, Remus.” Harry shrugged, green eyes still focused on the canvas. If he didn't look up, Remus wouldn't be able to see the lie.

“Really? It seems like a lot more than just paint to me, Harry.” Remus raised an eyebrow, frowning slightly. He was quite aware that there was emotion behind the piece but he also knew that Harry might not be ready yet, to talk to him about it. He just didn't like to see his child so...hurting and withdrawn.

Harry grimaced, shrugging again. “No. It's just a stupid painting.” He scowled, glaring up at Remus finally, before dropping the painting, turning and taking off, or trying to anyway. He scowled up at the older boy who he had run into, mumbling a brief apology and trying to push past.

“Woo there, little man. What's the big rush?” The tall seventeen year old red head asked, frowning slightly as he crouched to be on eye level with the younger boy.

“Don't wanna talk.” Harry mumbled, shooting a glance back at Remus, who had slowly started weaving his way toward them but had stopped to speak briefly with Phil.

“Ah. I get that. You can't just take off though. It worries them, ya know?” The teenager, Bain, raised an eyebrow as the younger boy merely shrugged. He quickly matched the child with a name in his head. This was Harry, then. Not many of the kids had hair so naturally unruly. Part of the younger boy's cabin but part of the E group, as Charlie and Jake called them. Also, a runner. And good at losing those who were trying to keep an eye on him.

“So?” Harry glared. They probably weren't really worried. His relatives never were, so why should they be? Besides, it wasn't like he would leave the grounds.

“So? Man, they care about _you_. It worries them, all the adults, even me, when you disappear like that. Taking off doesn't make it better, kid. If you don't want to talk, tell them. But don't run away. Running from your problems makes them worse.” Bain sighed, glancing at the nearing Remus. “Just try, Harry. Alright? Don't run.” He added quietly, straightening slowly so not to startle the younger, much smaller boy. These children did not like nine or ten, let alone nearly teenagers.

“Harry?” Remus questioned quietly, coming up to the two boys. “Hello again, Bain.” He nodded to the older boy with a slight smile, before turning his eyes back to the young boy with arms folded across his little chest and green eyes glaring at the floor. The young face was a mask.

“Remus. Be good, Harry.” Bain smiled at the older man, ruffling the boy's hair to indignant gasps as he walked past and into the Great Hall. At least the child was no longer scowling.

“Come, Harry.” Remus beckoned, stepping past the child, out into the entrance way.

Harry grumbled softly but followed the older man slowly, recognizing the path to the dungeons quickly. “Am I in trouble?”

“No.”

“Where's Prof- Severus?”

“He should be finishing up a potion right about now. We will lunch with him in our quarters.” Remus replied, glancing back at the dawdling child.

“Why?”

“Because Severus will appreciate the company.” Remus bit back a sigh. Perhaps it was a sign that the child was becoming more comfortable with them that he was asking questions at all. But he doubted that. Harry was stalling, trailing behind him. The preteen was quite...defiant and bitter today. Angry, even. Today was the first day of camp and he knew all the children would start testing limits. But he hadn't expected Harry to try so soon. Of course, a refusal to talk was not unusual from this child, or many of them, actually. At least the boy was not lashing out in anger, as one of the older teens had. He opened the door to their quarters, gesturing for the boy to go first. He did not believe that Harry would take off again, but it was better to be safe than to have to hunt the child down. He knew that Alexis was debating seriously placing a tracking charm on the boy, although he was not the worst runner. The worst, a twelve year old girl who had been raped repeatedly, already had a tracking charm on her, as well as an older girl nearby to keep an eye on her nearly all the time.. But the little girl did not disappear in the middle of the night as Harry did. Nor did she frequent places that were out of bounds.

-x-

Severus glanced up from the paper he was pouring over, frowning slightly as a unhappy child stalked into their living quarters. He raised an eyebrow at Remus but remained silent, setting the papers aside as a elf popped into the kitchen with several dishes of sandwiches, vegetables and fruit. He had just finished making another three large cauldrons full of nutrient draft, which he had bottled, with his new apprentice's help, and sent to the kitchen. The elves were now spiking the drinks of the entire student population with the potion, it was easier that way. The elves were quite good at making sure each child got the correct amount and that the spiked juice was finished.

Harry stalked into the kitchen, dropping into his usual chair. Lunch had barely started in the Great Hall and he hadn't eaten yet. But he had wanted to wait for Teddy. Stupid guardians.

“Problems?” Severus asked quietly, stretching with a small groan.

“Nothing new.” Remus replied, equally quiet, eyes going to the child. “Come Sev, lunch.”

-x-

“You get in trouble, Teddy?” Harry asked curiously, kicking his feet against the wall of the ledge they were sitting on.

“No, not really. Charlie was 'concerned'.” Teddy shrugged, laying on his back, his head propped up on his hands. They were on one of the tower walls. Harry had said that he knew a place where they could talk. Besides that, he was tired of the concerned looks he kept getting. Just because his painting was of blood splatters, they get all upset. Perhaps he shouldn't have said that. But it had just come out. And after spending time with both Charlie and Tim, refusing to talk to either of them, he needed a break. Time away from the camp. Away from concerned adult eyes. So they were skipping swimming in the lake. Harry because he could not swim and himself because he was afraid of water. It happened when someone tried to drown you. Twice.

“Sometimes I get tired of the concern. It's...confusing.” Harry admitted quietly, staring out across the grounds.

“I know, right? No ones ever really cared before. And now people care all the time. It wears you down and makes you want to fight with them, just so they'd stop pretending to care.” Teddy sighed, watching the clouds slowly form above. They would be in trouble when they were caught, because they would be found. Eventually. But he really didn't care. He wanted to push them. After all, what was the worst they could do? There was no where else for him to go and he knew the Headmistress would not send him home. She had promised that to him, which shouldn't count as much but for some reason it did to him. Some reason, her promises mattered.

“I don't think they're all pretending.” Harry shrugged. They couldn't all be pretending. Severus and Remus were too concerned to be pretending, too interested in him and what he was up to for it all to be pretend. They had asked if he would rather not attend the camp, if he rather just spend the days with them. But he had asked to stay with the camp, with the agreement that he could sleep in his room and be in their quarters whenever he felt the need, as long as he told someone where he was going first. Apparently that was a big deal, this not telling people where he was going to be stuff. It was so stupid though. They didn't need to know, he was quite capable of taking care of himself. Stupid adults. He grimaced and slammed his hand into his head twice. He wasn't suppose to think like that, to think bad of adults. Uncle had said so.

“Harry?” Teddy asked quietly, sharp eyes focusing on his friend.

“I'm okay. Just...”

“Bad thoughts?”

“Yeah.” Harry shrugged, turning green eyes to meet light brown.

“Just be careful, okay? Falling off the wall would be bad. Real bad.” Teddy replied slowly, keeping his eyes on Harry even as the slightly younger boy turned back to the view of the grounds. It was unnerving, to see someone else harm themselves. He would never harm himself in front of Harry, but their methods of harm were different, so perhaps that was why it was so ingrained into Harry to do it instantly, instead of finding a private place. Perhaps his relatives had not cared or even encourage it, where as his father had seen it as weak, as another reason he was so useless. Damn it. He couldn't think like that, not right now.

Harry shuddered, making sure not to look down. Falling would be bad, although he could feel the wards up here, keeping them on the wall. It still would be terrifying. “Definitely.”

-x-

Alexis paused at the top of the stairs, listening to the sounds of children's voices. She could not quite make out what they were saying, but she was positive that she knew who the children were, up here out of bounds. She had, purely by accident, ran into a frantic counselor in the hallway, who had seemingly misplaced two preteens. Two preteens that she wasn't sure their names, because they were not of her cabin and she had merely been with the younger group at the lakeside while two of the cabin counselors had a brief free period. All the young woman had known was that she did a head count and she was missing two. And so in a panic she left the other children to Hagrid's supervision and went looking for the missing children. Amazingly thoughtless. After scolding the young woman and sending her back to the lake, she had searched along the wards to find two children who were not where they were suppose to be. And she found them. She stepped into the doorway, surveying the two backs of the children and casting a sticking spell to each. She had warned Harry about this, that child was destined to give her a heart attack before he graduated, she was sure. “Mr. Potter, Mr. Nott. Exactly, what are you doing?” She drawled, stepping out into the open. Both boys startled but the sticking spell kept them in place. Neither boy would be happy when she was done with them.

“Professor! We were just...talking.” Harry grimaced, staring down at his lap.

Steel eyes looked between the two boys, a brow arched. “Mr. Potter, I have warned you about being up here and on the walls, have I not?” She asked quietly, her tone stern. Teddy was silent, but she expected that. The child rarely spoke unless spoken to, a habit they hoped to break and soon.

“Yes Professor, but-”

“Was that order unclear, Harry?” She asked quietly, cutting the boy off. She knew it hadn't been, but she wanted to see what he said.

“No, professor.”

“Alright then. There are sticking spells on both of you. Teddy, may I lift you off the wall?” Alexis requested, take a few slow steps toward them. The brown haired child hesitated for several long moments before finally nodding. She canceled the spell on him, lifting him up and setting him down. Really, the wall reached almost over both of the boy's heads. She wasn't quite sure how they managed to clamber up or their plans for getting down. “Harry?”

Harry scowled, glaring at the ground. He could get down on his own. He didn't need help. “I can do it.” He snapped.

“That's not what I asked, Harry.”

He growled under his breath, crossing his arms.

“Mr. Potter, I am not removing the sticking spell until you allow me to lift you down. I am willing to wait as long as it takes, but that is the only way you are coming off that wall.” Alexis stated sternly.

Harry grumbled for a moment longer before finally nodding. “Fine.” But that didn't mean he had to be happy about it.

Alexis removed the sticking spell and picked the child up. But instead of instantly setting him down, she smacked his bottom twice. The child yelped but she was aware that although it hurt, it was more of a surprised yelp. She set his feet on the ground and stepped back, crouching so that she was on eye level with both of the boys. “I warned you, Mr. Potter. Putting yourself purposefully in danger is not acceptable here any longer. The next time I find you on any tower wall, you will not get off so lightly.” She explained quietly, biting back a sigh at the bit of fear that crept into his eyes. “And no, Harry. I will never beat you, either of you. But I will turn you over my knee if you keep putting yourself in danger so recklessly. Do you understand?” When the child finally nodded, she turned her eyes toward Teddy. “As for you, Mr. Nott, I don't want to catch you on any walls again, or you will face the same consequences as Harry.” She wasn't even so upset that they were on the tower in the first place. But to be climbing on the walls like they didn't have a care in the world, it was unacceptable. Especially from these two boys.

Teddy nodded solemnly, glancing at his friend. Harry seemed more embarrassed than hurt, but he bet his friend wouldn't do it again. After all, beatings might leave damage, but a spanking would still hurt. And they were almost thirteen!

“Good. Now, I want an essay from both of you, due in two days times. Teddy, you may write yours on why this was dangerous. And Harry, you will write yours on why you disobeyed me. Two feet each, please. You will both also apologize to Calli for disappearing like that. Understand?” The punishments were fair and perhaps even lenient, but she had a feeling that Harry, at least, would be hard put to write two feet on why he did as he did.

“Yes professor.” They chorused.

“Good boys. Now, let us return to the camp.” Alexis waved her hand toward the stairwell and both boys scampered down. She followed at a slower pace. She was the one, after all, who would have to tell Severus that she had swatted his child, even as well earned as it was. Although, she doubted Severus or Remus would disagree with the punishment. If the summer kept on as it was going, it was going to be long and tiring.


	9. Adoption?

“You did _what?_ ” Severus snarled, sneering at the younger woman. She had _hit_ their child? Alexis? Oh, there better be a good reason for this.

Alexis rolled her eyes. Perhaps she hadn't thought it out as much as she should have, but she had promised the child consequences and she knew that she hadn't actually harmed him. Nor would she ever 'spank' the child without good reason; not unless he put himself in serious danger. The boys had not been in much danger, although they could have fallen and broken bones, but she had warned him. She hadn't wanted him to believe that she didn't follow through. “I promised him consequences, Severus. I warned him to stay off the walls. He is so used to foolishly risking his life without thinking about it first. No one ever told him that his life had value, that is what I was trying to impart to him. Tell me, would you not have done the same?” She retorted finally, looking up from her paperwork to watch the potion's master pace for a moment. Remus merely shook his own head, hiding a smile. The other man had already agreed with her actions. But Severus was a bit rash when it came to his students, just as she was.

He paused for a moment, frowning slightly. He probably would have done something similar, actually. He didn't believe in corporeal punishment, precisely, and he knew that Alexis didn't either. But the stinging spell for older students and a swat for younger students who needed the consequences was acceptable in his mind. They had even told Harry that they would spank him if he put his life in danger, but only then. And only because they wanted him to realize that putting himself in danger had consequences because they cared about him. So he understood her point. He just didn't like it. Nor was he quite sure how the abused child would have taken it, perhaps he would see it the same as a beating? Or perhaps he would understand that they only punished him because they cared about him. Severus finally scowled, resuming his pacing. “Be that as it may, what if he becomes afraid of you?” He drawled finally.

“I don't believe he will. But if he does, I will speak to him. Tim, I believe, was also going to talk to him about his constant disregard for himself, so perhaps that will bring any of it to light if necessary.” Alexis shrugging, turning back to her work.

“Discipline has never caused either you or Alexis to fear me, Severus. Rather, it has shown you that I care when you misbehave. It will, hopefully, teach Harry the same.” Filius injected quietly, his eyes following the pacing young man. The dark haired man merely nodded, deep in his thoughts. Perhaps it was time for the conversation he had been wanting to have with these two, but they had been busy and it had been hectic. It was still busy and hectic. He had waited for nearly a year, but perhaps the time was finally right. He glanced toward the young woman and bit back a chuckle. She had flushed, eyes staring unmoving at her work.

“Harry is acting out. He is not the only student doing so. But I don't believe physical punishment will stop that. Hopefully, he will come to believe that we care about his safety. But if he keeps taking off...”Remus remarked quietly, eyes following his lover. It was a genuine concern of his, that Harry might do more than just run when he was scared or angry. That the child might decide to run away.

“He needs discipline. If he keeps running, we ground him. We also add a tracking charm, that way when he does run, we can always find him.” Severus sighed, shaking his head slightly. That child had a tendency to take off. It was a habit that they needed to break, and soon.

“Have you spoken to him about adoption yet?” Alexis asked, looking up again. The paperwork in her hand, complete legalese, had remained her of what the two men had mentioned briefly the other day.

“Not yet. Is that Bain's paperwork?” Remus asked quietly, raising an eyebrow at the sudden topic change. They were seriously considering adopting Harry, to give him more stability for one. But also to make sure that he would always have them. They had fallen in love with this child, it made sense to adopt him.

“It is.”

“He's a good apprentice. He also has a solid talent for potions. “ Severus remarked quietly, glancing over Alexis' shoulder as he paced past.

“Lucius will be pleased to hear that. His sponsorship of Bain has helped greatly with the stupid Board agreeing to allow him to stay over the summer and next, if necessary. I need to arrange a meeting between the two.” Alexis smirked, looking up at her brother. Lucius Malfoy had been a great help with sponsoring the summer camp and some of the older students. That was one man who may have made a mistake in his youth, but had grown into a good man. Narcissa probably had much to do with that, as did their child. Narcissa had told her that Lucius had grumbled about adopting every single orphan if he could, he was firmly against child abuse, having watched his friend grow up with it. Narcissa had convinced him to work toward opening a home for those children, so that they were wanted and loved. She frowned, turning to look at Filius when the older man cleared his throat.

“Speaking of adoption...”Filius began, trailing off when three pairs of eyes turned to him.

“You found a student you want to adopt?” Alexis asked quietly, raising an eyebrow at the older man. She had told the staff that if they wanted to adopt one of the students who were wards, that she would help them. She knew Pomona and Charity were talking about each adopting a child...or ten. Those women had big hearts, but she was surprised that Filius wanted to adopt a child...and perhaps a bit jealous. She had grown close to the older man, as had Severus she knew.

“Not precisely.” Filius replied quietly, eyes going between gray and nearly black ones. Remus was watching him with a slight, knowing smile. Although he did care for the sandy-haired younger man, he knew that even if he didn't adopt the werewolf, the man would become a part of his family, legally even.

“Well?” Severus questioned, raising an eyebrow at the older man. The charms master was looking at him like he did when he was in trouble. Although, he took comfort in the fact that those intense eyes were also watching Alexis. He bit back a groan, dropping gracefully into a chair at Filius' gesture.

“Filius?” Alexis frowned, glancing at Severus. The half goblin was acting odd, odder than normal anyway.

“I'll go make tea, shall I?” Remus remarked suddenly, standing and heading into Alexis' small kitchen, breaking into a grin once he was out of Severus and Alexis' sight. This would be good for both of them, for all three of them actually.

“It is not a student that I wish to adopt. Rather, I wish to adopt my two children, as I have come to consider them. Of course, that is if they wish to be my children legally, as they are already the children of my heart.” Filius remarked finally, watching two sets of confused eyes before realization lit in both of them. He bit back a smirk, shifting restlessly. Hopefully, they would not shoot him down. That was his worst fear, that they would not want him.

“Us?” Alexis croaked, finding her voice after a few moments of strained silence. She understood Severus, he always called the other man 'son'. But her? He had only know her for two years, although they had grown quite close in the last year and a half. Filius had taken her under his wings, had brought her and Severus closer together. She already thought of him as a parent, but she had not been aware that he felt the same. He was part of her family already, making it legal wouldn't change too much.

Severus turned onyx eyes to meet Alexis', slightly raising an eyebrow. Her eyes were bright and she gave him a slight nod. He turned back to meet Filius' eyes, allowing a small smile to grace his features. “We would love to become your children, as you have already been a better father to us than either of us had as children.”

Filius smiled at the younger man, turning his eyes to Alexis. He knew, of course, that Severus would only speak for Alexis with her consent, but he wanted to see if she had anything to add to this. After all, it would change their lives, even if not drastically. Both were adults, but even adults, especially young ones, at least in the wizarding world both were considered young still, could use the guidance and understanding of a parent. Perhaps someone to hold them accountable for their actions as well, although he had been doing that for both of them for a while. He was going to adopt a twenty-six and thirty-two year old, which would bring a thirty-three year old son-in-law, he could help with the wedding!; a nearly thirteen year old grandson, perhaps two, and he was nearly certain Alexis was planning to adopt at least two students, if she could. “If Alexis is healthy enough by the Summer Solstice, we will hold the ritual then and I will go ahead and file the papers.” He remarked softly, raising an eyebrow at the young woman.

“Alright. But there is one condition to this adoption. We get to call you Papa or Dad.” Alexis grinned, causing the older man to chuckle quietly.

“Yes, that is fine child.” Fine indeed. He would love to be their papa, their dad.

-x-

Once again, a child was out of bed. This time, however, Alexis was blindly following the Hogwarts' magic deeper into the castle. The child, she was not clear which child it was, was somewhere in the intricate twisting of the corridors, deep within the fifth floor. Hogwarts had alerted her to a distressed child, whose magic was not in control. The closer she got, the more she could feel the bursts of magic spilling off. The child must had ran blindly from the third floor rooms, that was the only explanation on how they were so deep on the fifth floor. She stopped next to an old unused classroom, one she was hoping to use for one of the new classes, eyes quickly scanning the room. Magic was pulsing from here, but at first glance no one was there. She could feel the child though and she smelt..blood. It took her a moment to find him under one of the desks, his back pressed against the wall. He didn't see her, but it only took a second to recognizing him and to see the blade he pressed into his leg. Alexis moved slowly, cautiously toward the small boy. She made a bit of noise and his head snapped up, knife still held to his leg. “Teddy?” She called softly.

Teddy froze, eyes wide with fear. He clutched his knife tightly, tracking her movements. The headmistress approached slowly, but stopped a few feet away and did not block him in. He had plenty of room to escape if he needed to. But he had a feeling that she wouldn't hurt him. He wasn't sure though. Hadn't she gotten upset that Harry had done something bad? Wasn't he being bad?

“Teddy, could you put the knife on the floor child?” Alexis asked gently, crouching a few feet away from the boy. She wanted him to feel safe around her, so she would not take it from him. That was too heavy handed, and dangerous. The magic surrounding the boy was barely within his control. She did not want to cause him to lose control; she was not certain what kind of damage his accidental magic might cause.

“Why do you wear a glamour, professor?” Teddy asked suddenly, eyes meeting hers. There was no accusation there, just curiosity.

She froze, gray eyes flashing briefly before sighing softly. “That is a very long story Teddy. How did you know I was wearing a glamour? Can you see through it?” Alexis asked slowly, settling down on the floor. It might just be a long conversation, she might as well save her knees from the pain they would feel later.

Teddy hesitated, grimacing slightly. He still held the knife but it was no longer against his skin. He didn't like hurting himself in front of other people. Besides, his leg was already bleeding pretty nastily. “One of my friend's sees magic. He mentioned it earlier, but only to me. He didn't know what it was, but he can't see through it.” He shrugged finally.

“Ah, I see.” She frowned slightly, eyes focused intently on the boy's leg. Seeing magic was a rare gift, it usually came about at puberty. And although she would like to ask more, there were more pressing matters here. Namely, the boy in front of her. “Teddy? Could I heal your leg please?”

“No!” He cried, jerking backwards suddenly.

“Easy Teddy. I won't hurt you. I just want to stop the bleeding, I can even leave the pain if you like.” She added quickly, sighing softly. It was not something she liked to do, but she could just get the wound started healing and leave the majority of the pain. Otherwise, he might harm himself again.

Teddy hesitated, finally slowly stretching his leg out toward her. “You won't make it go away?”

Alexis' eyes soften, shaking her head slowly. “No Teddy. I will not make the pain go away. It's alright. I will not hurt you.” She replied quietly, feeling her heart clench. Fear made him sound so much younger than he was. But she knew that children often did regress to a younger state of mind when they were afraid, especially abused children. Teddy expected to be punished, not for breaking curfew but for harming himself. She knew it would take a while before the child felt safe here but his reactions were so...heartbreaking.

He nodded finally, giving his silent permission. Wide eyes watched as she rested a gentle hand on either side of his wound, fascinated as the wound burned briefly and then closed, scabbing over. But the pain was still there, just like she promised. “You didn't use a spell, Professor?” He knew healing spells, what she had done was not a spell. It was actually quite advanced, something that he _might_ eventually learn as an apprentice if he had any talent for it. Not everyone could heal and fewer could touch-heal.

“I didn't.” Alexis clarified, smiling at the small boy. It was not surprising that Teddy would recognize the form of magic. “I am a touch-healer primarily, Teddy. As are many Mind-healers.” She added quietly, gray eyes meeting brown. “Can you tell me what happened, Teddy?

Teddy grimaced, biting his lip. “I'm alright, professor.” He murmured, staring at his feet. It was a lie and they both knew it, but it was a necessary lie.

“I see. Let me clarify my question, then. Why are you hiding here Teddy?”

He wasn't hiding, exactly. He had just ran, wanting desperately to find a place where he could harm himself in peace. Because he needed the pain, it helped him forget. “Space.” He whispered finally.

Alexis frowned, raising an eyebrow at the child. “You needed space? To be alone? That is understandable, Teddy. Why did you decide to harm yourself?” She questioned quietly, summarizing what she knew of the child in her mind. Pureblood, nearly thirteen, heavily abused. He had also quickly became friends with Harry, the two were nearly always with each other these last few days before camp started. She knew he was quiet and withdrawn, not surprising really with the amount and type of abuse he underwent. He was a self harmer, loved dragons and was terrified of being touched. His birthday was also in a few days. She could easily understand the need for privacy, they were working on adding some free time to the camp so the children weren't always surrounded by each other. But she was a mind-healer and finding a child harming himself under a table at one in the morning sent warning bells off in her head. It wasn't a sudden whim. Something had happened to cause the child to need to harm himself. It was just a matter of hoping that he would trust her enough to talk to her about it.

Teddy hesitated, briefly closing his eyes. It was _personal_. Why would he tell anyone about something so personal? He knew that Severus wanted him to start talking about it, the man had listened for two years when he had felt like talking, which was rarely, but he just wasn't sure he could. He wasn't suppose to talk about it.

“May I tell you a secret, Teddy?” Alexis asked suddenly, catching his eyes as he quickly looked up. A nod was her only answer. It was not, perhaps, a secret she should share with a student, nor was it what the child thought she would say. But she had this feeling that it would help. Being honest with this child would show him that she trusted him and in turn he might start to trust her. “When I was younger, I used a glamour to hide who I truly was because I was frightened. I didn't want anyone to know that I was scared and hurting, so I pretended I wasn't. I still use a glamour, to hide how sick I was from those who cared about me. A while ago, I realized how hiding from them was really my mind's way of hiding from myself.” She remarked quietly, meeting wide eyes. She knew that he understood the message she was trying to send him, the words she wasn't saying. That hiding from herself hadn't been healthy, that this was something very personal about herself, something she did not want repeated.

Teddy blinked, looking up at his professor. Wasn't that personal, what she just said? He had been taught that personal matters were not to be discussed. Of course, he had learned this from the end of his father's wand, but that was not important now. He knew a true secret when he heard one and he would not betray her trust. But why would she, a powerful witch, trust a little whelp like him? He was nothing, a nobody. Wasn't that what his father had said? A useless little bastard? But didn't Tim say that his father was wrong? And he knew that the headmistress would always keep her promises and that she promised not to hurt him. He trusted her not to hurt him, so shouldn't he trust her with his own very personal secrets? If his father found out, he'd be dead. Literally. But he knew that if his father ever found him, he would also be dead. Because his father's secret, well one of them, was out. And many of the purebloods were angry at his father. Because children, apparently, were important to the wizarding families and precious, something to be loved and cared for. Not beaten and...damn it. “I couldn't sleep, professor. My mind would not quiet.” Teddy remarked finally, briefly meeting her eyes once more. As his fear receded, his articulate nature returned.

“What was causing your mind distress?” Alexis asked quietly, eyes soft. It was clear that the child was processing a lot in his mind, Teddy was not one to say something without thinking first.

He bit back a sigh, gazing off into the distance for a moment. His birthday was soon, that had been keeping him awake. Not from excitement, but fear. His father had always made sure his birthday was spent uncomfortable and often in pain. He knew that some of the things his father had done were inherently wrong, but they had been done to him and he did not really count, did he? He was a waste of space, he knew. And he was tired. His mind would not shut down though. He kept expecting his father to just appear to punish and humiliate him. Admitting fear was a weakness, but hadn't his Professor just admitted being afraid once to him? And she was not weak. Perhaps his father was wrong there too. “Fear.” He admitted finally, coming to a surprisingly easy decision. For some reason, he trusted her.

“What were you afraid of?”

“Father. He always comes before my birthday.” Teddy shrugged, biting his lip, eyes lowered.

She hesitated for a moment, before slowly reaching out and resting a gentle hand on the child's shoulder. He flinched but didn't pull away. Alexis knew the extent of abuse Teddy had suffered, from his medical records and the small amount that Tim had managed to get from him. The boy had suffered from physical and sexual abuse for years; he had never told anyone about the sexual abuse and he had hid it well. She could only guess at what he meant, but she knew that either way, it was not good. “What did he do Teddy?” She asked gently, letting a drop of calming magic flow from her hand into the child. His body had gone rigid and his breathing had came in rushed bursts.

Teddy relaxed slowly, allowing the little bit of calming magic to settle him. “He...a lot of things, professor. He did a lot of things. Mostly, he cursed me. Sometimes, when he was drunk, he beat me. And sometimes he...did the bad things. Birthdays were the worse.” He replied finally, shuddering slightly at that last thought. He had hated the beatings and the curses, but the...bad things were worse.

“Do you realize that it was not your fault, Teddy? He hurt you because he was a cruel, vile man. There was nothing you could have done to stop it. It does not make you bad or worthless. Certainly not unwanted or unlovable. You are a bright, kind young man, with plenty to show the world.” Alexis said quietly, squeezing his shoulder. Bright eyes filled with unshed tears met hers before blinking rapidly. She smiled softly at the child and opened her arms in welcome to him. The boy had been denied the comfort of a gentle touch for years, all physical contact he had known was violent and angry.

Teddy hesitated. He was not used to this, not sure of her offer. He did not really like to be touched but a part of him was screaming for the contact. His heart wanted it, even if his mind was still wary. He slid slowly from under the desk, biting his lip briefly. Her kind smile was encouraging, but her eyes shone with such care and concern that his head ached. He was not used to someone caring that much about _him._ He was a Slytherin, he was used to wearing and reading masks. The headmistress usually wore one, but now it was gone. Her concern was not faked, not that he could tell. The weight of the day and the conversation finally became too much and he suddenly hurled himself into her lap, trying to force the tears to not fall.

Alexis caught the child with ease, settling him on her lap so that his head was on her shoulder and her arms were wrapped around the small body. He was nearly thirteen, yes. But his emotional growth had been stunted, so this was not unexpected at all. He was also too small for his age, which made it easier to hold him comfortably on her lap. She rubbed smoothing circles into Teddy's back, resting her chin on his head. “You are safe child. No one will harm you Teddy. I promise you that. I will protect you.” She whispered soothingly, before starting to murmur comforting nonsense into his ears.

Teddy froze at her words, feeling something inside his heart break free. He was hurting, he knew. Deep inside, he had always been hurting. But it felt like his heart was healing, as silly as it sounded to him. It wasn't exactly logical, but her comfort made him feel better. More human, cared about. Loved even. The constant stream of murmured words calmed him, his tears slowing and fading. He blinked rapidly, trying to fight sleep. But he lost that battle, snuggling against _his_ professor and closing his eyes.

Alexis glanced down at the child, smiling softly. He was sound asleep on her lap and she really did not want to wake him. With a quick decision, her wand was in her hand and a Patronus cast. Several minutes later, two men entered the old classroom, eyes landing on her gently rocking the sleeping child.

Charlie bit back a grin, glancing at the contemplative Tim, before moving quietly to the pair on the floor. He crouched, helping Alexis to shift the child into his arms before standing and heading back to the camp rooms. He was just relieved to have found the boy. His eyes had taken in the scabbed leg and the knife on the floor, he knew what had happened there. Now it was time to tuck this child back into his bed and hope that he stayed asleep.

Tim reached a hand down to Alexis, pulling the stiff woman to her feet and steadying her. “I want full details...in the morning. Let's get you to bed.” He remarked quietly, warm brown eyes watching the younger woman. She was staring after the disappearing back of Charlie and his small bundle.

“How long would it take to sever his father's ties?” She asked suddenly, gray eyes sparkling.

“With Lucius' help? Two weeks. Why?” Tim asked, frowning slightly. He could almost see the wheels in her head turning. Something had happened between the two of them, he was just not sure what.

Alexis shrugged, turning and vanishing the knife that still laid on the floor. He had to be her ward before she could do anything else, she knew. But just the thought of that small, brown haired boy made her heart warm. He was a quiet, intelligent, witty child. Most just could never see past the hard outer shell. She wanted to pull back the edges, to help her child heal. “I wish to adopt him.” She turned gray eyes back to Tim, raising an eyebrow at him.

The older man just grinned, squeezing her shoulder as he led her back to her own rooms. That sounded like a grand idea, indeed.

-x-


	10. Rooms to Heal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops. Looks like chapter ten didn't post but nine and eleven did. For those of you confused, here is chapter ten.

Harry sighed, kicking his feet against the armchair. He hadn't seen Teddy today, which was bothering him a lot. Teddy had not been in the cabin this morning, nor at breakfast. The other boy was probably fine, at some silly activity or another. But he was worried. He had seen Teddy leave last night, but he figured his friend wanted time alone, just like he did. It did not help that he was now at his scheduled appointment with Tim, although he'd rather be here than playing football. Football was just..uck.

Tim surveyed the silent child for a moment longer, stifling a sigh of his own. Working with abused children was not an easy task, especially when they often refused to say anything on their own. “Harry? What's on your mind?” He questioned finally. They had been here for ten minutes and Harry had not said anything so far. It looked like it was going to be a long day already, and it wasn't even noon yet!

Harry shrugged, stilling his feet briefly. He glanced up at the healer, being careful to not meet his eyes. He did remember his uncle's rules, after all. Even if the healer was constantly asking him to look at him, he couldn't really want him to. After all, who would want to look at a freak? But Tim had said he wasn't a freak, as had his guardians, so didn't that mean something? He didn't think they would lie to him, but he knew he couldn't believe them. Not yet. “Where's Teddy?” He asked suddenly, resuming his battering of the chair. It wasn't his fault that his feet did not touch the floor.

“Teddy was taken to the infirmary this morning, he will be alright and should be back to camp in no time. He just wasn't feeling well.” Tim replied quietly, sighing softly. Teddy would be fine, eventually. Charlie had taken the child to the infirmary when the boy's leg started bleeding in his sleep, a few hours after they had found him. He had ran tests on the child and discovered the cause, it was merely a precaution that the boy was still in the infirmary. “Do you enjoy being with Teddy, Harry?”

Harry frowned, staring at his trainers for a moment. Teddy was sick? That wasn't good. He liked Teddy, the mousy brown-eyed boy was more fun to play with than their peers. The other kids didn't seem to get it, to understand that they were the unwanted ones, that no one cared about the camp kids. But Teddy did and he could talk honestly with Teddy. For the other boy would keep his secrets, just as he would keep Teddy's. “I like Teddy. He doesn't push.” He shrugged finally, glancing up at the older man.

Ah, so perhaps he pushed then? Or someone else pushed Harry to talk, like the group therapy sessions the counselors held every evening. He knew it was tough for some of these children to talk about their lives and it was unsettling how much these children did not know about life. Many of the Muggleborns knew very little about Wizarding society, even magical games and toys. Some of these children had no idea what to do with themselves, now that they were not escaping punishment or protecting siblings or worrying about the next fist or harsh word. Or worst. But sometimes these children needed a bit of a push to talk, it was his duty to heal minds. Tim was well aware that talking helped greatly in that. After all, he had not started as a mind healer, but as a patient, years ago. “Could you tell me more about Teddy, Harry? About why you like him?” He questioned finally, smiling at the child.

Harry hesitated for a moment, stilling his feet briefly. He would keep Teddy's secrets but did that mean he couldn't say his own reasons for liking Teddy? Without revealing his own secrets of course. He wasn't quite sure. He had friends before Teddy, well two or three anyway. But he didn't _trust_ Ron to keep all his secrets, he hadn't even heard from the boy yet this summer! Perhaps talking about Teddy wouldn't be a bad thing, it would keep the healer from asking about him, anyway. He didn't want to think about Uncle or any of that. Ever, if he could. But they always wanted him to talk about it and he just didn't want to. It wasn't a big deal, after all. He was a freak and his uncle had treated him as freaks were suppose to be treated. It was the adults here that were confused, they needed help. Not him. He sighed, wishing Professor Severus had not gotten his fringe cut, he missed hiding beneath it. “Erm well...He's nice and he taught me how to play Dragons. He gets needing space and he's just...different than the others. He's not a kid, like they are. He's like me and Karrie.” Harry shrugged finally, looking up. Karrie was part of one of their 'talking' groups. She was their age, unlike the others, and she didn't act like a kid, like the others did. She got it too, that they were unwanted.

Tim kept his face calm but he knew his eyes showed that spark of sadness. Teddy, Harry, and Karrie...the three youngest members of the “E” group, the extreme abuse, in any and all forms. Two of the preteens had suffered sexual abuse, that they knew of; all three had suffered from emotional and physical abuse, as well as neglect. All three practiced varying forms and degrees of self harm. He knew that the three children might have trouble connecting with the others their age; he would never have guessed that the three children saw the others as children but not themselves. Or perhaps, if he thought about it, he might have eventually come to that conclusion. It was just disconcerting to hear it from the mouth of a child. “I am glad that you like Teddy, and that you are able to talk to Teddy. Now Harry, as we are running out of time, I wanted to talk to you about the running. I know it doesn't always occur to you to tell someone first, and that is alright sometimes. However, I spoke with the Headmistress, as well as your guardians and counselors, and we found a way to make it easier for you. You told me yesterday that you sometimes run because you need space?” Tim remarked finally, glancing at the clock. He did have something pressing to tell, and show, Harry after all. Even if he would rather just let the child talk, when he was talking, instead of changing the subject.

Harry merely nodded, folding his arms and scowling. He didn't want another lecture about this, although Tim hadn't really lectured him about it. The healer had only asked why he took off so often. He needed space, it was true. But sometimes he was angry or upset and it just helped to be alone.

“The Headmistress asked and the castle designed a room specifically for you, so that you can have a safe place to go when you need space or when you are upset and just need a few minutes to collect your thoughts. That doesn't mean one of your counselors, including me, or your guardians will not come talk to you there, but we will all give you time to be alone. I just ask, however, that if you do take off, that you go to this room, instead of running blindly. Could you do that for me, Harry?” Tim explained quietly, watching the child closely. His reaction, what little of it made it past the mask, was better than expected. The child did not appear angry, at least.

Harry forced his face to stay bland, even if he was a bit weary of this. Perhaps this room would be a good thing, if it gave him a place to go. But he wasn't sure if he wanted adults checking in on him whenever they pleased. “Yes sir.” He responded dryly, staring back at his trainers.

“Would you like to see your safe space, Harry?” Tim asked, biting back a smile at the rapid nod. He stood, moving slowly toward the door and opening it. “This way please.” Harry followed him out of the room and down the hallway. His office was on the fourth floor, as was this new room. Or rooms, rather. Alexis had asked for one for each of their three runners and a few empty rooms that they could customize for other children if necessary. All of the rooms were warded against self harm and each had a charm that would allow the relevant counselors to know when their charge was in their safe room, as the charm would cause a pendant the counselors wore to heat up. The hallway of rooms was only two hallways away, but far enough that the children would hopefully feel like they had space away from their healers. Tim stopped in the hallway of once unused rooms, locating the second door to the right. “Here you go, Harry.” He opened the door and stepped inside, gesturing for the boy to follow. He was well aware that the child would not like it if he was behind him; blows often came from behind after all.

Harry stepped into the room and gasped. It was different from his bedroom, of course, but it was a large room with muted colours on the walls and a thick plush carpet. There was a brown couch and armchairs, as well as a low table. There was also a bookcase filled with books and a desk that held art and writing supplies. There was a punching bag hanging from the ceiling in one corner and a door on the opposite wall. The room just felt so...safe but also a bit overwhelming.

The child looked overwhelmed and he knew that the room was a bit busy at first glance, but that was the wonders of magic. “The room can be changed Harry, so that you feel safe here. The idea was that there would be books if you needed to escape into somewhere else as well as art and writing supplies so that you could calm yourself by expressing your feelings on paper. Do you think that you might be able to use this room when you need space? Or would you like us to change it?”

Green eyes darted everywhere as he slowly explored the room. A glance in the other doorway revealed a simple loo, which was a brilliant idea actually. That way he wouldn't have to try to find a nearby loo if he needed one. He really did like the room, he could feel the wards here and the magic. It was so welcoming and the overwhelming feeling had disappeared. He knew Hogwarts' had made this room for him, he could feel it, just as he could feel the headmistress' magic in the room. “Yes sir. I..can use it.” Harry grinned, finally turning to look at Tim. The healer merely smiled in response, leaning back against the wall to allow him to explore for a bit longer.

-x-

Alexis paced the length of her office, glancing occasionally out the window. The windows in her quarters, and the view from the Head's walkway, showed much more than this, but at least she could see the front of the castle from here, in case unwanted guests arrived. Not that she was worried about that, as she had recently strengthened the wards with the help of her Heads of Houses. No, right now she was more worried about her students, her children. The one she had just seen in the infirmary, before they released him back to camp, for one. But she was equally worried about her other wards. Nineteen children in her care, with her as their acting guardian. It was a bit...overwhelming at times. She sighed, turning gray eyes to the floo as it went off. She smiled at the floating head in her fireplace, gesturing for him to come through. A moment later and she stopped pacing as the older wizard stepped out of the floo. “Welcome, Lucius.”

Lucius Malfoy turned critical eyes on the Headmistress' office for a brief moment before turning to greet her properly. The office was much neater and more proper than Dumbledore's had ever been, although there were stacks of parchment littered everywhere. “Alexis, my dear. A pleasure as always.” Many annoying gossips always questioned if they were related and Alexis had merely been discarded from the family, but even if their eyes were similar in colour, they were not blood kin It was true that few people had gray eyes, but his were a shade darker than her's; also, she was not a blond. Nor would he had discarded such a woman from his family. He was quite glad that Severus had introduced them a few years back, she was a smart, talented witch; a powerful one. His lips quirked into a small smile, as he settled into the armchair she indicated. “I must offer my congratulations on your adoption.” He drawled, forcing down a grin when she scowled briefly, before her own mask was firmly in place. For those who rarely let down their masks, it was difficult, even in the presence of friends, to just react without hiding emotions.

“Severus?”

“No. Filius.” Lucius drawled, eyes taking in the appearance of the young woman. He knew from the bit of information that he managed to gain from Severus that Alexis was not at her best, health wise. He could not, however, see through glamours. It had not been a necessary skill when he was a foolish youth.

“Old man is a gossip.” Alexis muttered, sorting through her piles of paperwork quickly, before removing two sheets of parchment. “You will be at the ceremony, yes? Filius has promised to keep it small...” She trailed off, glancing up at him. Lucius was much like an old friend, even if she had only known him for a few years. She had known his wife for much longer, as they had met in her home country, before Dumbledore called in his 'favour'. She studied the older man for a moment, before holding the parchment out to him.

“Narcissa and I would be honoured to.” Lucius responded, accepting the parchment with a small frown. He scanned the first sheet, before reaching for a quill. He grimaced, frowning at one clause and quickly scratching it off with his quill. He added another clause and signed his name at the bottom. “Bain's paperwork should not take long to go through, as he has no one to claim him. As you know, it is a six month wait from guardianship to officially adopt; however, due to Bain's age, he is magically an adult, but not capable of supporting himself. At most, it should take two months for him to become yours. You have discussed this with him?” He stated after several minutes of silence, in his business mode. This was, after all, the reason he had come to Hogwarts today.

“I have. He has signed the other forms and will undergo the proper adoption ceremony.” Alexis drawled, biting down a grin at the shock in the eyes that so closely mirrored hers. She would not just legally adopted Bain, but offer the child a permanent home and family through an official adoption ritual, which would make him of her blood. It was the same ceremony that Filius was doing for her and Severus. Lucius did not surprise her as he once did, but she knew she still surprised him. The older man had turned away from the past dark lord after the supposed end of the first war, out of choice. He made a mistake and he spent years working his way back into society's good graces. He had also gained a university education and legal certification. He was a child advocate, though Narcissa often told her that he had too big of a heart to deal directly with the children. He handled adoption cases and often represented a child's interest in court cases. He was by no means a social worker, but he used his political power to save children like those of his friends, as he tried to have laws rewritten to protect children of all blood statuses and races. A child was a child, it did not matter who their parents were.

“I see. That is quite the development. I have made a few minor changes to some of these clauses, which you should look over, but everything else is in order here. Now, what is that?” Lucius remarked finally, finding his voice once more. He had a feeling that he would be filing quite a few applications for adoption this summer. He did have one he needed to bring to her attention, though. But it could wait for the moment being.

Alexis took the paper and read it quickly, before nodding and handing it back to him. Lucius vanished it to his office so that he could file in later, turning impatient gray eyes to meet suddenly stony gray eyes. “This is an application to terminate guardianship.” She purred.

Lucius forced down a shudder; he would not want to be that child's parents, if the tone she used was anything to go by. “Who is the child?”

“Theodore Nott.”

Ah. The child was a pure blood though, which often made it difficult to wrestle custody away from their parents. His father, however, had done heinous things to the boy, so it might not be as complicated. “I take it you have documentation of his injuries?” Lucius questioned, accepting that parchment. He glanced over it, signed the bottom and vanished it to his office. He would file it immediately upon returning.

Alexis silently removed the boy's file from her desk, tapping it with her wand to duplicated it. She passed the duplicate to Lucius, before returning the original to her desk.

Lucius rifled through the file for a moment, before finding the healer's reports and official medical scans, as well as a few notes from the child's mind healer. He read through the medical report, paling slightly. He had known, of course, when Teddy was removed from his home, that it was bad. And he knew from brief conversations with Severus and Alexis some of what the child had suffered. The child had never told anyone, even though he often spent a week during the summer at the Manor with Draco. He had know that Theodore Senior was not a very pleasant man, but he had not thought that the man would abuse his own son. Especially not this horrifically. He set aside the medical scans, glancing at the notes from the mindhealer. He blanched suddenly, looking up at Alexis.

“Killing him will not help Teddy, Lucius. I have thought about it, but I have kept my staff from killing nearly fifty sets of guardians, as I have contained myself. Teddy's is not, sadly, our worse case, as you know. But his guardianship needs to be terminated, if for nothing other than Teddy's peace of mind.”Alexis stated softly, watching the man with understanding. It never did get easier.

He drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair for a moment, snapping the file closed. “I will give this to his social worker. His guardianship will be terminated as soon as possible. He will need a guardian, though.” He remarked finally, forcing his mind to calm.

“I plan to adopt him, if he agrees.”Alexis replied quietly. If Lucius was shocked, he hid it well.

“I do have one more order of business, Alexis.” He sighed, vanishing the file back to his office. If he could get his hands on that man...but it would be easier to let his crimes slip. The sane prisoners, in the lower levels of Azkaban, were not keen on child abusers, of any form. Much like muggle prisoners...he'd be dead in a week. Hm, that was food for thought. But later, for this piece of information would not go over well. At her raised eyebrow, he elaborated. “A family has filed for adoption of Mr. Potter.”

She blinked, gray eyes turning to hard stones. “I'm sorry, what?”

“After Dumbledore's death was published last week, a family placed an application to adopt Mr. Potter. How they thought they would remove him from his biological family without contesting that guardianship is beyond me, but they are petitioning to take the child. I have stalled all such attempts, as the social worker and I agree that Mr. Potter is with a family that will take care of his needs physically, mentally, and emotionally. I have not spoken to Severus or Remus about this, yet. The family has no reason to contest their guardianship, nor can they adopt the child without six months of guardianship. They already have a large brood, so the courts are very likely to deny them either way.” Lucius scowled, resting his head in his hand for a moment. This recent rush of cases was overwhelming for the child welfare offices, which meant him as he was one of the major advocates. So he was tired, and he knew her response would not be pleasant.

“I see. Who is this...family?” Alexis sneered.

He grimaced, shaking his head. Technically, it was a breach of privacy. But she was the child's Headmistress, so she was entitled to information that might effect the child's emotional state while he was under her care. And since the child in question was currently in the school and she was not likely to tell anyone, he felt no reason to not tell her. “The Weasley clan.” He had not expected the muttered curse that followed, however.

“Of course. Mrs. Weasley recently sent me a...howler, informing me that a...witch of my upbringing had no business running a school and that she was seriously considering withdrawing her five brats.” Alexis hissed, magic crackling along her skin. She had burnt the howler immediately, considering it complete rubbish. After speaking with Tim and Filius, separately, she knew that the Weasley matriarch was a force onto herself. Of course, she had already known the name Weasley, after all she had spent a year in Romania as a mind healer for the dragon riders and handlers, while their healer was on leave. The Weasley she had met was a nice young fellow, with anger issues. Apparently, he got those from his mother.

Lucius blinked, mouth twitching. He was a pure blood aristocrat, he did not gap like a fish.. But it was a just thing. “Your _upbringing_? The woman does not even know you, she cannot judge you unfit to take over Hogwarts. Nor could she fight with the legitimacy of the wards accepting you, as well as the approval of the board of governors.” He growled, regaining his control. The Weasley woman had always been a bit of an annoyance, but surely she would not withdraw her children over the castle's choice of headmistress, especially after all of the damage Dumbledore had done to Hogwarts!

Alexis sighed, gray eyes softening slightly. There was so much work to do; people like that Weasley woman just made her life harder. “I believe she thinks I practice 'dark' magic. Apparently, she missed the lesson that magic is neither light nor dark. It is the intent behind it. Perhaps it is also the addition of new courses. Gods forbid that our children actually know how to read and write; know more than basic maths and have a thorough understanding of the world around them.” She scowled, staring at the cup of tea that appeared on her desk. She took a deep breath, slowly sipping the tea. That was her elf's way of telling her to calm down. Or that she forgot to eat, but that had been happening with less frequency lately.

Lucius snorted, not bothering to hide his opinion on the matter. Alexis? Dark? That would be a cold day in hell! Only here, under the British fool of a Minister, was magic polarized into Light and Dark. On the continent, especially where Alexis hailed from, magic was a force that was honoured, not taken for granted. It was neither light or dark, but shaped through the users intent. He had seen one of the worst cutting curses used in a _kitchen_ by a _chef_. The intent had not been dark, so his use of the spell did not make it _dark_. But he also knew that that confusing notion had not been taught at Hogwarts. “It is her lose.” He shrugged, standing stiffly. He had been sitting for too long that day, he knew.

“No. It is her children who will lose. Thank you for the help, Lucius.” Alexis stated quietly, standing as well. She stepped around the desk, smiling slightly for a moment. “You will visit soon, yes?”

“But of course. It had been a pleasure, as always my dear. I will take care of these cases and let you know as soon as I know something.” Lucius replied silkily, before dropping the bland mask to smile at the young woman. He stepped forward and embraced her for a moment, before stepping out of the hug and into the floo. “I look forward to a time for tea that does not involve business.” He added, disappearing in a flash of green fire.

She sighed, brushing black stands away from her face. Things to do, things to do. She had a school to organize, a camp to watch over, students to tend to and care for. So much to do, so little time. And she knew one of her counselors was ignoring her orders... One day without problems, tantrums, fights, or break downs, one day. Was that too much to ask? Clearly, it was.


	11. Understanding

“Hey Harry.” Teddy stopped a few feet behind the boy, speaking a bit louder so not to startle him. He did, after all, know how it felt.

“Teddy! You okay? What happened?” Harry spun around, green eyes betraying his worry.

Teddy hesitated, glancing around the camp lounge. It was their free period, just after lunch, and Charlie had retrieved him from the hospital wing, with strict instructions from the annoying mediwitch. He liked Alexis better, she didn't nag him or treat him like a child. Nor did she talk about him like he wasn't there. The Headmistress had come to check on him, after Tim had ran his scans. With his leg now bandaged and strict orders to not pick at it or mess with it, he was free. Just not quite happy. “I'm okay. Not here, Harry.” He muttered finally.

Harry nodded immediately, understanding exactly what the other boy meant. There were too many children around, too many people in general. For a boy as private as Teddy, it was not a place to share something, even something simple. “The bunks, then?” He questioned, nodding to their room.

“All right.” Teddy turned toward their cabin, frowning at the older boy who stepped in front of them. He glanced at Harry, subtly gripping his wand and giving a slight nod when the messy-haired boy closed the space between them, so that they were standing side to side. His brown eyes quickly took in the room, locating three counselors automatically. Severus had taught the Slytherins that adults could be quite helpful in breaking up fights, not that this would become a fight. He knew at least two of the adults were watching them intently now. Teddy stepped to the side, trying to step around the older, blond boy. But the bigger boy blocked him, glaring down at him.

“If it isn't the batty boy and his brownie. Tossers, you two.” Derek sneered, blue eyes narrowing on his two victims. It wasn't that they had done anything to him, of course, but they were there and they acted like such _fairies._ It was against what his father had thought him and that made it Wrong. It didn't even matter that they were younger than him, they were just...there.

Harry tensed, moving slightly closer to Teddy while mentally loosening his wand from his holder. Not that he would use it if he didn't have to. But it was best to be prepared. He wasn't even quite sure what the older boy had said, but he had heard his uncle say similar things about two men once. A couple like his guardians. So he knew it couldn't be a good thing.

Teddy, quite unlike his friend, knew exactly what the boy meant. He also realized that the boy was a muggle born, as such bigotry was not usually found in Wizarding society. It stung to hear those words referring to his and Harry's friendship, but it was just a friendship...Or perhaps a brother-ship? Harry was almost like a brother to him after all. If nothing else, he was one of his best friends. He took a deep breath, forcing his temper down. They could not rise to his bait. He knew that, logically. So he wouldn't. “And? Excuse us.” He shrugged, raising an eyebrow and trying to move around the boy once more.

Derek, however, was not going to accept that. They could not just ignore him! No one was suppose to ignore him when he was like this! Were they? He didn't ignore his father when he said such things, especially since words were usually accompanied by fists. And not listening would earn him a beating. He was angry, but he wasn't quite sure why. He didn't really have a right to be angry, did he? Wasn't Henry always telling him that he couldn't just lash out at people? But he wasn't. Was he? Derek growled, confusion evident in his eyes. Without thinking, he did the one thing that he hadn't really been planning to. He shoved Teddy, hard, causing the boy to stumble backwards and two wands to instantly be pointed at his chest.

“Enough!” Charlie growled, finally reaching the small group of boys. He had heard the conservation, the little of it there had been and had been on his way to put a stop to it anyway. He had paused briefly to share a quiet word with Henry, knowing that he had two preteens to calm and he really did not have the patience for the fifteen year old bully. He had turned his back for one second and it had become physical. Grand, just...grand. The three boys had frozen, stiffening, at his tone, but the wands were not lowered.

Harry suppressed a flinch, eyes darting from Derek to Charlie. He wasn't quite sure whether Charlie was angry at them or not, but he suspected that he was. After all, they were just trouble.

Charlie eyed each boy for a moment, before looking at Teddy and raising an eyebrow. The boy finally, slowly, lower his wand, but he made no move to return it to its holster. He then turned to Derek, frowning at the older teen. “They are younger than you, Derek. You should be setting a good example, not acting like a bully. To Henry with you, I am too frustrated to deal with you.” He bit out finally.

Derek grimaced, staring at his feet. He felt...ashamed. It was an odd feeling and he did not like it, not one bit. He knew that if Charlie was angry, he must have done something bad. He just wasn't quite sure what yet. He turned his eyes toward Henry, who was beckoning to him, and sighed. Time to go see what his consequences would be this time.

Charlie sighed, looking down at the two preteens for a moment, before crouching to their levels. “Boys.” He murmured softly, quickly raising a silencing spell around the three of them. Two sets of eyes looked up at him, staring out from blank masks. But there was fear there, and uncertainty. Teddy's brown eyes also held anger, but he knew it was not directed at him.

Harry looked up when the anger suddenly disappeared from Charlie's voice. He frowned slightly, feeling magic surround them. It felt like Charlie and it felt almost like a hug for a fleeting moment, before it settled in a circle around them. Somehow he knew it would not harm them, but that it was a good spell. He glanced at Teddy, relaxing slightly when he say the other boy relax. Teddy was his friend and he also trusted Charlie. He knew, logically, that even if Charlie was angry, he wouldn't hurt them. Not really.

He surveyed the two children for a moment, trying to figure out a way to make this better. But bullying was not always an easy problem to solve and the older boy had said some nasty things, things he was not sure the younger two had completely understood. But from the look in Teddy's eyes, at least one of the boys knew what he had meant. “Boys, I am not angry at you. You did nothing wrong. You tried to avoid the situation entirely, and for that, I am proud of both of you. What Derek said was wrong and cruel. He should not have said such things. He is a bully and you two are the better men for trying to ignore him, and then standing your ground when it became necessary.” Charlie finished softly, smiling briefly at the two boys. He really was proud of them. He bit back a sigh, eyes settling on Teddy. The child was pale still, but a quick glance at his watch showed that it was not time for the child to check his blood sugar just yet. Which was a bit worrying, actually.

Harry frowned, a bit confused. Charlie was proud of them? Adults were never proud of them, of him especially. Well...Remus and Severus acted like it sometimes, but they were just pretending, right? Because that's what adults did, they pretended to be proud and then smacked you one when your guard was down. But Charlie wasn't lying, he wasn't sure how he knew but he just did. It felt..odd to have someone proud of them. For doing _nothing_ too. Huh.

Teddy grimaced suddenly, fighting down the wave of dizziness. _Not here, please not here._ “Erm Charlie? Could we please move to the bunks? I don't feel well.” He scowled at the floor, his cheeks reddening slightly before it vanished beneath his mask. He would never admit it to anyone, except perhaps to Harry, but he was scared of this new...disease? It wasn't even something that could be healed with magic. He knew that one of his yearmates, and some of the older years as well, had Asthma, but this wasn't _asthma_ and asthma seemed scary, when they stopped breathing. This was scarier. He had even less control over his body now and he hated it. But Tim and Alexis had spent a good while with him, talking to him about it and explaining how they would treat it. Charlie, Tim, or Alexis would help him with it for a while, until he felt comfortable handling it on his own, and they would remind him when it was time to take his medicine or test his sugar if he forgot, not that he planned to forget. He was quite responsible for an almost thirteen year old. More than more of these _children_ anyway.

“Of course we can, Teddy.” Charlie straighten instantly, understanding the boy's phrasing quite well. The child might not want any of the other children to know, but all the relevant adults have been or would be informed. After all, it wouldn't do for the child to faint or get severely sick because an adult didn't know what to do in case of an emergency. He canceled the silencing spell with a wave of his hand, stepping toward the 'cabins'. If nothing else, he could pull the two boys into his and Phil's room, since he knew that both Phil and Bain, who had asked to stay with them, were out with other students.

Harry hesitated, glancing at his friend. Teddy was really pale and sweating, something was wrong, he knew. Hadn't Teddy already hinted at that, before Derek stopped them from going to the bunks? He frowned slightly, green eyes filled with worry, following his best friend and Charlie quickly into the bunks.

Teddy grimaced, glancing around the brightly lit messy room. Some of the boys were such slobs and even though Phil and Charlie made them clean up after themselves, the other boys seemed to mess up the room by merely walking into it. There were two other boys there, which he didn't really want right now. He didn't want anyone to know but Harry. But waking the thirteen year old who had trouble sleeping at night, like he did, was not something he could do either. The other twelve year old boy, a Hufflepuff, looked up at them for a moment before turning back to his book. Charlie had paused for a moment, before continuing to the back of the room, to a door on the left, opposite that of the loo. He followed at the man's beckoning glance, nodding at Harry to follow. The counselors' room was a bit different from theirs, with three curtained beds instead of bunk beds,as well as desks and wardrobes. It was a bit plain, but it had a homey feeling.

Charlie glanced around the room for a moment, before finally settling his gaze on his own bed. That would have to do, although the bed was nearly as tall as the boy. “Alright Teddy. Why don't you sit down on this bed here for a moment?” He requested, nodding to his bed before conjuring a small armchair for Harry. “You may sit in the chair if you like, Harry.” He added quietly, turning his gaze briefly to the small, worried green eyed child. This was not, perhaps, how Teddy had planned on his friend finding out but sometimes things just happened.

Teddy frowned, staring at the bed for a long moment. He understood Charlie's reasoning, of course, but he wasn't quite sure he could get onto that bed without jumping...and he wasn't sure that jumping was a good idea right now, as he was standing still and very dizzy. He grimaced, turning his eyes to meet Charlie's for a moment. “I...can't. Could you...help me?” He muttered finally, glaring at the floor. Alexis had told him, repeatedly, that there was no shame in asking for help when he needed it, and that he might need help for a bit, until he was used to this illness of his.

Charlie blinked before smiling slightly at the frustrated child. “Of course.” He moved slowly, gentle hands wrapping around the boy's torso before lifting him securely up onto the high bed. It was a good step, that Teddy was finally starting to recognize his limits and ask for help. He let the boy settle for a moment before sitting down beside him and holding out his hand. “Why don't you explain to Harry what's happening?” He suggested softly, tapping his wand to the index finger of the small hand now resting on his much larger palm.

Harry tracked the two with his eyes, scowling slightly. He was so confused. Teddy never asked an adult for help, ever. The slightly older boy hadn't even accepted his help in climbing on the castle's walls. Teddy was stubborn, he had just kept trying until he managed to get on top of the wall, even though he had scraped his knee. But Teddy had said that he bruised easily, so it didn't matter. It did matter, to him at least. Maybe his friend was really sick...he wasn't sure he could handle losing Teddy. Not at all.

He nodded, turning his brown eyes to meet green, instead of watching Charlie's movements. It didn't hurt, but he really did not like it. “It's alright Harry. I'm gonna be okay, Tim said. I just..I have diabetes. It's well...I don't know how to explain it.” Teddy scowled, eyebrows knitting together. How did he explain that his body didn't make enough...insulin? He hadn't even heard of the illness until this morning. Tim had explained that while type 2 Diabetes was uncommon in wizards, Juvenile diabetes, what he had, was as common in wizards as in muggles. But he didn't know anyone who had it and that made it seem frightening, although he was a Slytherin and Slytherins did not become frighten, especially of a dumb sickness.

Harry frowned, running the word through his thoughts for a few moments. _Oh._ “That's what Uncle has. And this girl at primary school, but hers was different from uncle's. Uncle got it 'cause he was fat. But Elizabeth's body stopped making the stuff that absorbs sugar and she had to have these shots every day and stick her finger. Do wizards stick their fingers?” He asked absently, before blinking. He had called Uncle fat. Badbad _bad._ He slammed his hand into his head, repeating the action quickly.

“Harry! Put your hands on your lap please.” Charlie frowned, glancing up from the results of the quick scan. He waited until the child had obeyed, before rummaging in his pocket. “Wizards have created a few spells so that they would not have to 'stick' their fingers.” He added absently, finding the potion's vial he wanted. Teddy's blood sugar was low, too low for his comfort.

Teddy sighed, turning to look at Charlie, since the man had long released his hand. He grimaced at the potion, knowing that whining would not help and he did not typically whine. But it was the principal of the matter. “I just had one, a few hours ago Charlie.” He stated finally, in a bit of protest. It tasted god awful and he really didn't want to have it again so soon. Granted, he had been given one at breakfast and Madam Pomferry had released him at lunch without another one...Not that he needed one, even though he probably did. Alexis had said that he would probably be taking two or three of the potions a day, hopefully they would work. He really didn't want to have the insulin shots. He hated needles.

Charlie raised an eyebrow at the child, silently holding out the potion. He knew that the boy was only being stubborn because he felt he had to be, it was almost...endearing to hear this child whine like a normal child would. The poor boy had enough on his plate without this but there was nothing they could do except treat it. Wizards and witches lived happy, long lives with diabetes; it would just take time to make Teddy's more manageable and to calm the child's fears. A wizard's body was much different from that of a muggle's. His magic would help balance the equation, it would keep him alive if necessary. But wizards also used more energy than muggles, so they needed to intake more energy. The child was too skinny, from years of living with only his father, a man who disdained and abused the boy. They were working on getting him to eat more, which would help balance his sugar, and helping the child realize that there was no shame or weakness in needing a bit of help. Both would help greatly in this battle. As long as the stubborn, usually solitary child did not decide to push them on this. He already knew that Tim and Alexis would be quite unhappy if the child started refusing the potions. As would he, as Charlie had come to care greatly for his boys, especially this two little people, who remained him so much of himself when he was younger. Not that he had ever been that _small_.

Teddy scowled, finally taking the potion and downing it with a grimace. He _hated_ it. It tasted so nasty. Maybe Professor Snape could make it better? If he could, he'd be much more willing to take it. He didn't want to be sick, after all. He liked having control over his body, so controlling this disease was his new goal. He sighed, turning back to Harry. “I have to sit here for a bit, so that it takes hold and I don't throw up.”

Harry merely nodded, getting up and moving over to the bed when Charlie stood. The man looked pointedly at the bed, but he shook his head. He could climb up on it without help.

Charlie merely shrugged, going to do work at his desk, so that he could keep an eye on the boys while giving them some privacy. He watched Harry out of the corner of his eye, gaping when the child merely jumped and floated up onto the bed. _Damn. Either Harry can fly or...his magic is growing._

Harry grinned at Teddy, bouncing down on the bed. He had not realized that he could do that, but it was so _easy_. He just bend the magic in the air to be under him, so that he wouldn't crash down. He could see it, glimmers of magic here and there. It was very dim at the moment and very brief, but he could feel the constant hum of magic. It was nice.

-x-

This was...frustrating. Irritating? Either way, it was trying her patience. Did these people think that she had nothing else to do besides responding to their owls all day? It wasn't like she had a school to rehabilitate or a summer camp to run. There was no staff to over see or students to care for, no appointments with said staff and students to hold or plan for. Clearly, these..people believed that she did not. Perhaps if they had to spent an hour with a child, explaining to them why their parents were not fit guardians and why their guardianship had now been passed to the school, as well as another hour to calm that child down and a third hour to calm herself down, maybe they would be more considerate...or at least stop sending her damn howlers. Howlers for taking over Hogwarts, howlers for not _responding_ to their letters fast enough, howlers for being non-British. The worst, of course, were not the howlers, but the owls that brought the signed terminated guardianship forms, in a bittersweet way. Alexis sighed, glancing up from the most recent letter from a _concerned_ parent at the knock on her door. This was her open office hours, so to speak. Perhaps that was why she waited so long to read this post, so that she'd have an excuse for opening it and then forgetting about it, or incendio-ing it, whichever was more beneficial for her. The incendio-ing held much promise of stress relief. “Komm.”

Charlie hesitated before shrugged and pushing the door open. Blue eyes scanned the room, an old habit that was very handy with the children, before returning to the Headmistress. The woman still looked bad under the glamours but he could see health returning to her slowly. He saw it in his children too, every day, as their bodies adjusted to regular meals, positive attention and care.

“Charlie. Was brauchst du?” She asked absently, incendio-ing the letter with a snap of her fingers.

“Is now a bad time, Alexis?” Charlie asked quietly, studying the woman. She did look stressed, but he also knew that came with the job. He wasn't sure if her automatic use of German meant that she was angry or upset, or if it merely meant that she wasn't paying attention.

Alexis blinked, turning gray eyes to meet blue. Her mind had been elsewhere, with these howlers and nasty posts, instead of focusing on this young man. She spoke her native language rarely at Hogwarts, unless she was speaking privately with Tim and it was easier to phrase it in her language. She had slipped a few times in the last three years, of course, but she usually did not. Ah well, she was merely human after all. “I'm sorry, Charlie. I was pre-occupied. Now is fine. Do you need something? Is everything and everyone alright?” She responded finally, gesturing toward a chair and watched the blond slowly sit down. Every movement of the man was slow and deliberate, but she had also seen him stop a fight before it could even begin this morning. She knew he moved slowly unconsciously, because he was used to working with children and teenagers who startled easily, as many of the camp children did. Because he was once a child much like them and he knew that sudden movements were unsettling and sometimes down right terrifying. If only she had a reason to make him talk to a mindhealer, but she did not. Although she knew Tim was trying to get Charlie to come to him on his own. Her student's counselors needed counseling. But alas, that was how the world tended to work.

“All my boys were alright, last I checked. Teddy is having low sugar problems but he asked for my help and he was doing much better when I left him.” Charlie shrugged, settling into the armchair. Somehow sitting in her office always made him feel like a naughty school boy who had been caught snogging in a broom cupboard again.

Alexis forced back a snort, knowing quite well that Charlie would not have left Teddy if the boy was not alright, unless an emergency came up. And then, only if Bain was nearby. The man was very protective of 'his' boys. She sighed, thinking of young Teddy. To be almost thirteen, severely abused and to suddenly find out he had diabetes...the child had more than enough on his plate, without this thrown on top. “Hopefully, his body will adjust well to the potions. Severus has set to brewing, and improving, a new batch. It has been nearly five years since this school has seen a diabetic child, so all the professors will need retraining. But everything should be alright. Gods willing.” She murmured, thinking aloud.

“Hopefully, yes. Besides from a slight bullying issue, and trying to explain sexual slurs to two twelve year olds, I did discover something...interesting.” Charlie remarked, causing gray eyes to immediately snap to his.

“Oh?”

“Harry. I think..his magic is growing. I know that children's magic strengthen and grows at puberty but this is different. The child levitated himself Alexis! On to a bed that is nearly four feet off the ground, without so much as a finger twitch. He stares at the walls seemingly at random and he blinks, constantly. It's almost like..” He trailed off, mind wandering back to Harry. The child always seemed to frown when magic was cast near him, to tense up briefly. The child constantly dismantled charms on his bed, the charms on the bathroom meant to prevent harm, alert charms....everything. It was quite unusual.

She sighed, drumming her fingers on her desk. If the child could see and feel magic, if he could manipulate it without thought...it was a rare gift. Not necessarily a gift for only powerful witches and wizards. She knew a hedge witch who could do the same, a woman with low power levels but the ability to see, feel, and channel magic. Much like herself. The hedge witch had taught her empathic magic until she had started her mastery and Tim had found her. Natural empathic magic was rare in Britain and Scotland, she knew. It was not exactly common on the continent, but it was easier to find a teacher there. Touch Healers and most Potion Masters used empathic magic in their work, but it was only after years of learning to feel and sense magic. True empaths did not have to learn to feel, sense, or see magic. They did it naturally. And were often taunted and viewed as outcasts for an ability that many considered both weak and frightening. After all, does a powerful wizard really need to be able to _feel_ magic? Is it natural that a witch could shape magic, without a spell? To many, the answer would always be no. The pieces were falling in to place for her now. It made sense. In his essay, Harry had mentioned that he knew the wards would not drop them. The child was always tilting his head to the side, something she had done at that age. The child had been telling her that he could feel the magic, if not in those words. An empath...it would actually make quite a bit of sense. He would need a teacher though. Empathic magic unchecked could drive the user insane or cause a spectacular disaster. “Like he can see magic?” Alexis suggested finally, causing blue eyes to snap back to her.

“Precisely.” Charlie shrugged, meeting her eyes for a moment before glancing away. It wasn't a bad thing but rather a gift. A gift that Harry would have to learn to control, a gift that needed training. And restrictions. Otherwise, the child would dismantle every charm and ward in this castle until Hogwarts fought back against it. The castle would only let so many wards be dismantled before She drained the wizard. He would know; he had tried when he was a teenager to remove certain wards surrounding a certain tower window. But he had used spells, not just shaping the magic at will. Of course if any of his charges tried to dismantle window charms, there would be problems. “He dismantled an anti self-harm ward in the loo last night. I'm not sure if he knew what the ward was for or if he just wanted to see if he could do it. But he needs...teaching, Alexis. I don't need him randomly taking apart wards. That could be...disastrous.” He added quietly, turning back to look at her.

“I know he does. If he is truly empathic...there are few here who could teach him. Tim could if he was older, but he is too young to even think of channeling his magic that way.” There was only one real solution and she knew it. She would have to talk to Severus and Remus, as well as test Harry's magic soon. “The only other Empath, that I aware of, is myself. We will work something out.” She sighed, giving a slight nod. It would have to do. She would not have a child go through what she had. Not if she had a choice in the matter. “Is there anything else on your mind, Charlie?”

The younger man stiffened instantly. “No Headmistress.” He responded automatically, before cursing himself for acting like a school boy hiding something. Her eyes had narrowed and she raised an eyebrow at him, leaning back in her chair. Damn woman. _Nothing is wrong. She didn't even ask that. Everything is fine. Good. Safe. Cared for. Loved._ His mantra was a little bitter lately, but it always helped. It kept him grounded.

“Charlie.” Her tone was soft, gentle. One simple question and he was not just defensive, but he had completely shut down. She had merely wanted to make sure that that was indeed all he wanted to bring to her attention before dismissing him. “Talk to me, please.”

He grimaced, averting his eyes. Nothing was wrong. Everything was fine. Except...he had almost lost his temper earlier. With Derek. But he hadn't. He would never become like that. He was fine, everything was fine. He was safe. _Safe._ Hogwarts was safe, Alexis was safe. He was fine. “There isn't really anything to talk about. I'm alright, Alexis. Just tired.” He replied finally, looking back up at her. Eye contact, she was more likely to believe him if he looked at her. If he didn't blink or look away. If he smiled easily, as he did now. She'd let it go, because she had no other choice. Everything was fine.

“Be that as it may, you may always come to me, Charlie. If you need anything. Anything at all.” Alexis sighed, she couldn't win here. If she pushed, he'd shut down. She could only hope that he would take her offer seriously. But she was not so sure. Charlie was, after all, quite good about avoiding things he did not want to talk about; with her, with the other counselors, even with the children.

He hesitated but gave a brief nod, standing. Before he left her office, however, he turned back to face her. “I will, Alexis. I will.” He promised quietly, before heading back to his boys.

Alexis sighed, resting her head in her hands after casting a locking spell on her door. She needed a moment. Or several. So much to do, so little time. So many hearts and minds to heal...but she would do it. Because if not her, who?


	12. Letters and Disagreements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teddy receives letters from some friends and Phil and Charlie had a falling out that requires Tim and Alexis to intervene.

 

Teddy sighed, staring at the barn owl for a moment before taking the package it offered. A tap of his wand and the package enlarged. He knew the owl of course, it belonged to Mr. Malfoy and Draco used it when he wanted to not attract attention. He locked down the feeling of Draco knowing where he was, and probably why he was here, before slowly opening the box. There were envelopes there, most addressed to him, from many of their Slytherin year mates. As well as a large assortment of sweets, a few marked specifically for him, and several new books. He picked up a tin of sweets, reading the label for a moment before grinning. Mrs. Malfoy was an amazing woman. She had sent him sugar-free cookies! Oatmeal raisin was his favourite, so it was even grander.

_Dear Teddy,_

_Dad said you probably wouldn't be coming over this summer. But he said we could send you letters. Blaise is spending most of the summer here, his mum is on her honeymoon with her newest husband. Blaise likes this one, so hopefully he sticks around. Millie is also here, but she's only staying for two weeks. Her father had to go to Russia and her mother is redecorating. Daphne and her sister spend the days here and Neville is staying with us. One of dad's coworkers went to Neville's house for a home visit and then called dad in. We aren't suppose to bug Neville about it, but it wasn't difficult to figure out why, as we all know what my father does. He called in a life debt to the Longbottom family, so Neville is my foster brother until something permanent can be found. Anyway hope you are well. We sent you candy! If Harry is with you, tell him I said hello. Heard dad talking to Mum about Harry...figured you'd be together somewhere. We don't know the details and I really don't want to know, either. Figure it has to be something bad._

_Best, Draco._

_To Teddy and Harry,_

_Mr. Malfoy won't tell me where either of you are, but he said he could send the letter to you. Mum's married again. Husband number eight! I like him, he doesn't hit me. I picked out the book on Dragons for you, Teddy and the book of mythology for you, Harry. Write me back!_

_Blaise Zabini._

_Hey Teddy,_

_Blaise's mum is getting married again. Can you believe that? My mum told Mrs. Malfoy that Mrs. Zabini really needs to get her act together and settle down. Hopefully this man doesn't die 'mysteriously' because Blaise really likes him and according to mum, Blaise needs a stable male figure in his life. I wish you had had a stable male figure. We all knew something was wrong Teddy but we figured, I figured, that it wouldn't be polite to ask. That you would tell us if it got bad. You should have told us. We would have figured something out. Helped you. Something. Anyway, tell Harry I said hi. Daphne also says hi! She broke her wrist flying and didn't feel up to writing. We picked up a few books for some girls at your camp...I heard Mr. Malfoy talking about it when I was suppose to be in lessons. But I was skimping. I hate extra lessons. Mr. Malfoy said he'd send them to the Headmistress but we included one in the package. I think Karrie should be there. Could you give the book to her? It's the next one in the series and we were reading it before school let out. I know Karrie's home life wasn't great but she didn't talk of it much. She's in our year too, so if she's not there...could you ask Severus to check on her? I worry about her._

_Millicent_

Teddy stared at that last sentence for a moment, before rifling through the box. He glanced down the table to where Karrie was sitting alone before turning to meet Harry's eyes. Harry had a letter from Neville in his hands and he knew he had a similar one to read still. He knew Neville well, they usually spent a week or two at Malfoy Manor every summer. Malfoy summer camp was more like it. So many pure and half blooded children stayed there in the summers, it was very much a zoo sometimes. Teddy darted his eyes toward Karrie, raising an eyebrow at Harry. The black-haired boy thought for a moment before nodding. They both placed the letters and treats back into the box, before he picked it up, standing. Harry followed him and together they walked down to Karrie, plopping down across from her.

“Hey Karrie.” Harry murmured quietly, pulling his letter back out of his pocket and returning to reading it for the third time. Neville's letter was quite interesting actually. He had shared a dorm with the other boy for two years, he thought they were something of friends. It was not so shocking to find out that Neville's home had been less than ideal, but it was still a bit upsetting. He didn't like it when his friends were hurt.

“Here Karrie. Millie sent this for you.” Teddy held the book out to the silent brunette, waiting patiently until she finally took it from him. She opened the book to the middle, removing a letter from within before shutting it back. Light green eyes met his for a moment before dropping down to the letter.

_Karrie,_

_I hope you are where Teddy is. If not, I will tell Mr. Malfoy to check on you. Daphne and I were worried when we didn't hear from you. I remember what you said, about going home. I never understood before but I think I get it now. Well no, actually, I don't get it. I can't relate. But what I_ do _know is that your home sounds very...as Mr. Malfoy would say, unhealthy. I know I promised I wouldn't tell but you are my friend and sometimes promises must be broken to help. My mum says that sometimes. I asked her if you could come over for the summer and she said if it was possible you could. She had to check something or another though. She wouldn't tell me. Adults won't tell us anything, it's really frustrating. We aren't little kids after all! We're thirteen! Do you remember Neville? He's staying here at the Malfoy's with us, only I think they plan to keep him. His uncle was hurting him, I heard him talking in his sleep. And no, I will not tell the Malfoys that I can't sleep at night. I never told Severus and I won't tell them. It's only been three months since that happened...but I should be able to sleep. Oh well. I hope you are alright. Please let me know. And enjoy the book! I'll sent you another soon. Also, there are some rainbow wands and sparkly dust in the box for you. Get them before the boys eat them!_

_Your friend, Millicent._

“I want the rainbow wands please.” Karrie remarked, blinking rapidly for a moment before looking back to Teddy and Harry. “And the sparkly dust.”

Teddy smirked, digging through the box for a moment before producing the rainbow wands. They were lollies, shaped like 'magic' wands, because girls were weird, that shimmered different colours and made your mouth look like a rainbow. He passed them over with out hesitation. He absolutely hated rainbow wands. Lollies in general, really. They always made him gag. He did hesitate with the containers of sparkly dust however. That stuff was delicious. And sugary.

“What's sparkly dust?” Two sets of eyes turned to stared at Harry, both gaping slightly for a moment before the masks were firmly in place once more. Harry scowled, raising an eyebrow at Teddy. He hated feeling like he was ignorant. He just didn't know much about wizard society, and apparently its candy. But he did feel really stupid, because Karrie was muggleborn, so she should know as much as he did. But she seemed to know more, at least about books and candy.

“Millie introduced me to it last year. It's this..well sparkly dust. It is almost like sugar but it is sparkly and glittery. It changes colours and you never know what flavour you will get, although it is never a nasty flavour like those disgusting beans.” Karrie explained quietly, her tone light and almost happy for a moment. Almost...childlike.

“Hey! Bertie Bots aren't all gross. You're just a girl.” Teddy retorted, rolling his eyes. None of the girls he knew liked Bertie Bots, at all.

“So? You're just a boy!” Karrie stuck her tongue out at him, grabbing one of the containers of sweet powder.

Harry giggled, glancing between his two friends. “Can I try some, um sparkly dust Karrie?” He grinned brilliantly at her, watching her tip the container to her mouth, pouring in quite a bit of sparkly sugar. It looked almost like a muggle candy his cousin liked, one he never got to try. One that his aunt had banned because it made Dudley very energetic. Karrie handed him another container of the sugar, as Teddy hesitantly tilted one to his own mouth. He popped his open and poured a bit into his mouth, grinning around his orange flavoured sugar. “It's good!”

“Of course it is!” Karrie grinned, pouring more of her sparkly grape flavoured dust into her mouth. She glanced at Teddy, raising an eyebrow at the boy. But if he wanted to go easy on the candy, that was alright with her. More for her and Harry.

It took a few minutes before Harry and Karrie started bouncing in their seats. Teddy smirked at them, pulling his last letter out of the box. He read it quickly before pocketing it. He would write to Neville later, the other boy really needed it. He knew Neville was confused, much like Harry was sometimes. He, at least, had known that his father had been doing bad things. But he also knew that he deserved them. He must had. Teddy shook his head rapidly, trying to clear away those thoughts. He didn't need them right now at all. Movement down the table attracted his attention. Phil was coming toward them and he didn't look happy. “Karrie, Harry. Settle!” He hissed, darting his eyes toward Phil meaningfully.

Harry stilled, or tried to anyway, following Teddy's eyes. He had never had so much sugar before! He had only eaten a container and a half of the sparkly dust. He knew that Karrie had eaten the same amount, it didn't really seem like a lot of candy. But he couldn't stop jittering. He really only had sweets a few times a year, and usually chocolate frogs. But chocolate frogs never made him feel like this, he was never so...floaty. It was great!

Phil frowned down at the three children, stopping beside them. He raised an eyebrow at the two hyper children, children who never acted like this, before glancing at the vials of candy. Great, that stupid sparkly mystery sugar. It had been quite popular at the school he had went to, so he wasn't surprised to see it. But more surprised to see these children eating it. He wasn't in the best of moods but he also knew better than to be heavy-handed with this lot. “May I have the rest of the sugars, please? I think that is quite enough for one evening.” He requested quietly, gazing between the three of them.

Teddy frowned, glaring down at the table. It was their candy, they should be allowed to keep it. It wasn't like they had candy all the time or like they would eat it all at once. Well...Harry might. But he wouldn't. And the sparkly dust made Karrie smile and she so rarely smiled. It just wasn't fair.

Harry hesitated before handing over the half empty tube of candy. His face was perfectly blank and a glance at Karrie showed that hers was as well. It wasn't fair, but that was their life. Perhaps they really didn't deserve such treats. It had been good while it lasted.

Light green eyes glared at Phil, one eyebrow arching briefly before a bland mask took its place. Karrie did not hand over her container of sugar, instead merely staring at Phil. If he wanted the sugar, he could take it. But she wasn't giving up the only real treat she had had this summer. Her birthday was the second week of August though and she knew Millie would send her sparkly dust then, as she had last year. Just like last year, her candy was being taken away now. She knew that they, the three of them, were not like the other children and so perhaps they were just not suppose to have sweets. Perhaps they were too dirty and disgusting for sweets.

Phil sighed, taking the vial that the child had sat down on the table before collecting the rest of the flavoured sugar from Teddy. He would give it back tomorrow, or at least some of it. But these children did not know how much sugar was too much. He had seen too many children get sick from the candy, which was very close to being pure sugar, because they didn't realize that much sugar was bad for their bodies. Especially as they were just starting puberty. He glanced at the other treats but hesitated. He really did not want to take all of their treats. But two of the three were already hyper and they really did not need anymore sugar tonight. Perhaps just a warning would do though. They were nearly teenagers after all. “No more sweets tonight, guys. You can have some tomorrow but that is quite enough sugar for one day.” Phil remarked briskly, waiting for the three nods before turning and leaving with the containers of sugar.

-x-

Charlie frowned, gazing at the seven containers of sugar that rested of Phil's desk, three of which were half empty. He knew the other man was not it the best of moods, but then neither was he. He was just much better at hiding it, better at still being himself around the boys. Boys who were currently trying to straighten their 'cabin' before the last group meetings of the night and free time. Nearly three hours until lights out and then he would have a bit of free time. Not much, as he did have some work to finish but there was no counselor meeting tonight and hopefully all of the children would stay in their beds. Or at least not leave the common room. He needed to mediate tonight, he knew that. Otherwise he would just keep thinking and that was completely unnecessary and foolish.

Phil sighed, striding into the room. The boys were so messy. He could not remember being that messy at their age, but he was sure he had been. It was just a bit ridiculous how fast they could destroy a room. It had been cleaned that morning but by lunch the boys had managed to make it resemble a war zone. Again. He did not feel patient enough to deal with them tonight, so Bain was helping them. Clearly Charlie wasn't feeling patient either. He raised an eyebrow at the blond, glancing at the confiscated candy.

“Whose candy do you take?” Charlie asked finally, raising a brow of his own.

“Teddy, Harry, and Karrie's. Harry and Karrie were bouncing off the chairs at dinner tonight. They didn't need anymore sugar.” Phil shrugged, turning to pick up another note from his bed. Stupid pesky Headmistress. She was being annoying, although he had agreed to see Tim. He just wasn't going to. It shouldn't matter to her if he did or not. He crumbled the note up and tossed it into the bin, not bothering to read it. Unless she was firing him, and then she probably would tell him in person, the note probably was the same as the first.

“Karrie and Harry...did you explain to them as to why you were taking their candy? Or when you would give it back?”Charlie asked, frowning at the back of the other man. Karrie and Harry did not get hyper often and it was something he would pay to see. Those two children just being...children. He understood limiting their sugar intake, especially of this kind of candy, but he was against just taking it away from them.

“I told them they could have more sweets tomorrow.” Phil shrugged, glancing at Charlie. Why should he have explained to three twelve year olds why he was taking their sweets? They were twelve, not eight. Quite old enough to know the reasons, even if they didn't know their own sugar limits yet. Especially Teddy, who would have to learn new limits to how much sugar he could have.

“You didn't explain it, did you? Damn it Phil.” Charlie murmured, scowling at the other man. He knew the three children well...or as well as could be expected from three who did not speak often. But he understood them and they were in his, Mary and Jake's group. The worst of the worst. The children who were so badly abused and so brainwashed into it that they thought they deserved such treatment. The children who were too much like he was once, hurting and scared. Children who probably had rarely had sweets and treats, who would believe they didn't deserve such treats. And Phil had just made it worse, by reinforcing that belief. That even here, even when they were safe, they did not deserve what other children had. Damn it.

“What? They're twelve, Charlie. Surely they would understand. I'm sure they have had sweets taken away before, so that they wouldn't make themselves sick.” Phil snapped, glaring at him. He was not in the mood to put up with an overprotective Charlie tonight.

“You are a fool. Chances are, they have rarely had sweets. Perhaps not at all. They would believe that they didn't deserve sweets and you reinforced that! You can't just be so thoughtless, Phil! These children have been hurt gravely! You have never been this careless, but it the last three days? Pull yourself together!” Charlie snarled, turning cold blue eyes to meet a deeper blue pair.

“Me? You've been on edge since lunch! I made a mistake, it happens! I will talk to them.” Phil retorted, folding his arms across his chest. Damn. So perhaps they hadn't understood. But they never spoke up, never argued. Which should have set off alarm bells, other children would have argued the unfairness of it. They just silently glared at him but given it. Defeated. Like they thought they had been doing wrong. _Fuck. Now I have to convince them that it is okay for them to have sugar. Damn it to hell. Why must I always screw everything up?_ Phil scowled, slamming his hand into his head, forgetting for a brief moment that Charlie was there. Before he could repeat the action, however, a hand was wrapped around his wrist.

“Stop.” Charlie whispered quietly, keeping hold of Phil's wrist. He gestured toward the other man's bed before releasing his wrist and touching the pendant around his neck. They needed help or one of them would get hurt, either from each other or, in Phil's case, of his own doing. He watched Phil for a moment before sitting down on his own bed, directly across from him. “Phil. Hands on your knees.” He ordered softly, causing the blue-haired man to glare at him before removing his nails from flesh and resting his hands on his knees.

-x-

Alexis stopped outside the boy's dorm, hesitating before deciding to go in another way. There was a second door to the counselors room, one that meant she would not walk in on any half dressed preteens. Tim, however, held no such concerns, going straight into the boys room and stopping to talk briefly with Bain. She entered Phil and Charlie's room at the same time Tim did, frowning slightly at the two younger men, both who seemed quite unhappy. She also smelt blood, although barely, which did not make _her_ happy. Charlie's call had been non-specific, a silent plead for someone to come help with a counselor dispute. Fight seemed like the better word and both men seemed angry. At each other or themselves was not quite clear, however. She surveyed the two men for a moment, noting their body language. Phil's fingers were digging into his knees, in a way that reminded her of children who had been ordered to put their hands on their knees, to help fight the temptation to harm themselves. She glanced at Charlie with a sigh; his magic seemed to barely be under control. She touched her own pendant, canceling Charlie's request and letting the senior staff know that she was handling it. Although she wasn't quite sure what she was handling.

“You called them? Fool.” Phil hissed, digging his nails into his palms, fighting the urge to take off. The flight instinct was always strong in him when he was confronted with something or in trouble. It was never there around Charlie, but he was also much more comfortable with Charlie seeing his flaws. He had a lot of them and he knew it. Especially oversight. Sometimes he forgot that the children might not be at the same level of understanding as some of their peers, because they weren't used to the same things or situations as children should be. He always tried to be gentle and patient, but he was out of patience today and perhaps he could have done better. He knew that. He was just...angry. Especially now, at Charlie. Damn fool.

“Idiot.” Charlie growled, forcing himself to take a breathe. He could not take his anger out on Phil. He wasn't even angry with Phil. They all made mistakes. He needed control, _now,_ or he would do something rash. That's why he called for Alexis. Or whoever was nearby. She was his choice though, if he have had to make one. She could handle the situation. He did not have the patience today, his temper was shot. And now his fellow counselor was harming himself. He had guessed but he had never seen it, so he had let it go. He wasn't going to let it go now.

“Enough.” Tim ordered quietly, checking the silencing ward around the room. It was still up but he strengthened it, to prevent any further shouting matches from being overheard. Thankfully, the children had not heard this one. He was curious to know what had caused this between the two of them, although he could guess. Tempers were short, they both looked exhausted, and they had a group of active boys to look after. Active, hurting boys. He had honestly expected one or two of the camp counselors to meltdown in the near future; he just hadn't expected it to be so soon. “Who would like to tell us what happened?” He requested finally, eyes going between the two. His eyes landed on Phil's hands and he sighed, catching Alexis' eye.

She followed his gaze for a moment before nodding and conjuring two armchairs, positioning one near each young man. “Stop Phil. Let Tim see to your hands please.” She ordered softly, turning gray eyes to land on Charlie. An angry Charlie. Perhaps she should have pushed him further earlier, but she knew he would have just shut down. He might shut down, even now, if pushed. She arched a brow at him and he bit back a sigh.

“We were arguing over...Phil's thoughtlessness in just taking sweets from three of the children without offering them an explanation. Apparently, they were hyper.” Charlie scowled.

“You call that arguing? I made a mistake. You don't have to be so high and mighty over it. You are far from perfect, Charlie.” Phil bit out, trying to keep his hands away from Tim's reach. Yes, there were drops of blood forming around some small cuts but he didn't need a healer. Didn't want a healer. He was _fine._

“No one here is perfect, Phil. What sweets did you take from them?” Tim asked quietly, raising an eyebrow. From Charlie's demeanor it was three children who rarely had sweets, so he could understand where the blond was coming from here.

“The kids call it sparkly dust. It's this flavoured sugar concoction that is way too much sugar at one time.” Phil grimaced, finally allowing Tim to take hold of his wrists. Alexis had been giving him that look...he hated receiving that look. The one that said she was not pleased at all with his behaviour.

Alexis made a face for a fleeting moment, shaking her head. She hated that candy. She had seen too many cases where an older teenager had tried breathing it in to see what it did. The answer was, quite frankly, nothing besides making them sick. Too much of the sugar could send a child's body into shock, there were even warning on the packages!Wizarding children would burn it off faster, of course, but sugar like that could cause out of control magic in younger children, and even some older ones. She had even seen an asthmatic child almost die from accidentally inhaling it. If she could ban the candy she would, but she knew better. Banning it would make it much more appealing. Besides that, most children who were raised with the candy were taught to never eat too much of it. It was the muggleborns and raised that didn't know the dangers of too much sugar to their magic. “I'm sure you realize now that you should have explained why you took the candy and the dangers of the sweets to the children.” She remarked finally, raising an eyebrow as the younger man jerked his hand out of Tim's grasp, again.

Tim frowned at the man, smacking his leg with his free hand. “Stop fighting me, Phil, or I will do a full scan on you.” He ordered, causing the young man to still instantly. He knew the smack would sting, but he also knew that it would do no real damage. The boy had ignored his quiet warning a minute before and he did not make idle warnings when he was trying to heal or at least investigate the damage. He would be doing a full scan on the younger man later that night if he could, since Phil was determined to avoid him and there was usually a reason for that.

“Yes, fine. I made a mistake. I'll fix it tomorrow. Either they will understand or they won't.” Phil growled, speaking irrationally and without thought. He would talk to them tomorrow and make sure they did understand, because he did actually care for these children. They were good kids and he had made a rash judgment of the situation, something that he shouldn't have. But he was still learning as were they. They were teaching him much more about his job and about himself than his training ever had.

“They won't. You'll be lucky if the three even take the candy back. Harry, Teddy, and Karrie were not raised to understand apologies, or to even receive them.” Charlie snapped, fighting to keep his temper. He knew Phil was upset and frustrated, but the man spoke so thoughtlessly! Doing so around the children could be damaging. He would not lash out, he wouldn't. It was not Phil he was angry at. _I am loved. Cared for. Safe. Sane. Okay. Everything is fine._ His mantra was not helping this time, no matter how often he repeated it in his head. Sane? Yeah, right. Sane people didn't have tempers like he did. He knew that.

Ah. That made more sense then. Charlie was extremely protective of those two boys and that little girl. They had been through so much and he knew the young man probably came from a much similar background as they did. “Alright, enough. The two of you could use some space from each other right now, until you are both thinking rationally again. Phil, why don't you come to my office, the two of us have much to discuss.” Tim ordered finally, standing and turning warm brown eyes to the blue-haired youth. Phil grumbled under his breath but stood, following him slowly toward the door Alexis had come through.

“Oh, and Phil? Don't run from Tim. He is not as lenient as I am.”Alexis remarked, catching the boy's eye for a moment. He blushed and averted his gaze, dragging slowly behind Tim. Once they were gone, she sighed turning back to face Charlie. “Tell me what is bothering you?”

“I am fine.” He hissed, staring at the wall and forcing himself to take another deep breath.

“You are not. We both know that while Phil might had fueled your anger, he is not the reason for it.”She replied quietly, gray eyes concerned for the young man in front of her. He was one of their best counselors and she knew he needed someone to talk to. But he had to be willing to talk to them. She had been willing to wait for him to come to her, but perhaps now was the time to try to get him to open up.

“He was not, no. I just...need to meditate Alexis.” He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. He could not talk about it, he would break if he did and he had to be strong for his boys.

“Perhaps. Talking about it might help though. It doesn't make you weak, Charlie, to ask for help.”

“I don't need help. I just need to be alone.” He snapped, biting his lip. Help...only a few times had he been offered help before. But he was older now. He could handle this. He just needed to breath.

“I am not going to leave you alone when you are this upset. I'm sorry, Charlie, but I cannot. However, we can just sit here in silence if that is what you need.” Alexis responded finally, watching him closely. Head bowed, eyes closed, his temper was barely held within control and she could see his magic trying to stray out, his aura expanding.

Charlie sighed, breathing slowly for a few minutes. He sat there, in silence, with her close by. When he had finally reigned his magic back it, cooled his temper down a bit, and opened his eyes, she was still there. Watching him. And her eyes...they were concerned. For him. “Sorry, Headmistress. I just...needed a minute. Sometimes it becomes too much and my temper flares.”He explained softly, staring at the floor. It was a bit embarrassing, that he could not fully control his temper. But he was, had been, angry. Angry at a fifteen year old bully, angry at Phil, angry at himself for getting angry. Angry that he had almost lost his temper at the bully, angry that his children had been hurt so badly, just...angry. He had been that way as a child, turning all emotions into anger, but he had much better control of it now. He would not turn into...that. He wouldn't.

“What becomes too much?”

The soft question caught him off guard and caused him to raise startled blue eyes to meet gray. “Everything. My boys are hurting and I cannot even protect them here, for they are still bullied. Watching them flinch at every touch or slight movement, seeing their blank masks and hurt eyes...it is too much sometimes.” Charlie hesitated but decided to be honest with himself, and her by extension. “It reminds me too much of my own childhood, of my own experience with bullies here. Many of the counselors did not go to Hogwarts. I did. I still cannot even look Professor Snape or Professor Flitwick in the eyes.” He admitted finally, meeting her eyes once again. There was no pity there, just understanding and care. Concern.

“Why is that?”

“They both tried to have me removed from my home. Dumbledore ignored them. They both offered to help me and Professor Snape spent a few weeks of detention teaching me to meditate, so that I could better control my temper. So that I would stop starting fights.” He shrugged, flushing slightly. He greatly respected the older two men and they never brought up the past. They were both quite good to him and Professor Snape..Severus had told him that he was always welcome to come to him for anything.

Alexis bit back a sigh. More damage that Dumbledore had caused. She had known, of course, that he had not a good home life, although not the details. Severus had mentioned it when Tim hired him on, that the boy would probably relate to the students well and he had a bit of emotional empathy...that he might lose his temper. But Severus had also not know the extent of his abuse, just that it had been there and the little the man had told him. Details of which were confidential and she knew better than to press for. She had learned of a tower incident, as it had been in his old student file, another incident where the old fool had done nothing and Severus and Filius had tried to pick up the pieces, to find out reasons. The very thought of such an incident was nearly heart stopping. But that was in the past and there was a young man in front of her who needed her now. “You are an adult now, Charlie. No longer a student. You can do something about the bullies, the training sessions we will be holding a couple of nights a week should help you know how to address it rationally. If you ever do get too angry, send them to someone else and come see me. Even if it is just to sit in my office for a bit, until you have control once more. You are not the person you once were and the boys absolutely adore you. I am here for you Charlie. Severus, Filius, and Tim are also here and ready to listen if you should come to them. We care about you. You are not your past.” Her quiet words made him visibly relax. She knew he had expected her to brush him off, to hold his past against him. But she would not, could not. He was a good young man and they needed him, the boys needed him. And he needed them.

“I...thank you, Alexis. I admit that I am not quite ready to talk just yet. About anything. But it means a lot. Very few people have ever cared.” He murmured quietly, blinking rapidly.

“I am here whenever you are ready to talk, whether it be about your past or your future. Or even the terrors of trying to get eleven boys in bed by nine-thirty.” She replied softly, smiling softly when he chuckled. She had been trying to get him to laugh, to light the mood a bit.

“Would you stay for a bit?” He requested after a few minutes of silence. Although he didn't want to talk, he didn't really fancy being alone. A glance at the timepiece showed that free time would start in a half hour, he knew Jake was probably running his group, and then he would have to go back out to check on his boys. But right now, he needed the quiet and the calmness that was the Headmistress.

“Of course.” Alexis leaned back in her armchair, pulling a muggle notebook from her robe pockets. She had planned to be in the common room during free time, as she was every evening, so she didn't mind staying with him. Especially when he was still a bit upset, when he still needed a bit of quiet. She understood completely. She wouldn't have wanted to be left alone with the demons in her head, either. And although it already felt like it would be a long night, she didn't really mind. These people, the adults and the children, and this school were her life now. And she was perfectly okay with that.


	13. Accepting Comfort

“Teddy, a moment please.” Charlie called out, causing the brown-haired boy and his black-haired friend to turn toward him. It was a few minutes to the start of breakfast and Phil was already leading the rest of their group down to the Great Hall. It was two days after their argument, nearing the end of the first week of camp. Teddy's potions would arrive with his breakfast and they had checked his sugar first thing this morning. This was about something different, a conversation that would hopefully go well. “It's alright, Harry. I just want a quick word with Teddy. Go on with Karrie, please. We will be down in a minute.” He added quietly, smiling reassuringly at the boy. The three children were almost inseparable now, although Karrie was getting along better with her bunk mates now. He was sure the boys had something to do with it.

“Go ahead, Harry. I'll be alright.” Teddy murmured, glancing at his friend. Harry merely nodded, giving him one last worried glance before trotting off to catch up with Karrie and her group. “What'd I do?” He asked, turning brown eyes back to Charlie. He couldn't remember doing anything, but he was sure something was wrong. Although, Charlie was smiling at him and his eyes were soft, not like he was disappointed or displeased at all.

Charlie sighed, shaking his head softly. Of course the child would automatically assume he did something wrong. He could tell that the child had barely slept last night and he wasn't sure if the boy would sleep well tonight, either. He wasn't sure if it was anxiety or excitement though. For tomorrow was Teddy's birthday. “You did nothing wrong, Teddy. I just wanted to talk to you about tomorrow.” He replied finally, frowning when the child tensed.

“What about?”

“Your birthday, Teddy. We will be having a birthday dinner for you, as we did for Lacey on Tuesday. We would also like to throw a small party for you afterwards, for you and your friends. It is up to you, of course, but I was wondering if you wanted to invite any friends from outside of camp?” He explained quietly, crouching next to the younger boy. They had thrown a similar party for Lacey, who had turned sixteen, with her closest friends. It was the Headmistress' idea and as Teddy's counselor, his responsibility to find out who to tell Alexis to invite. If the child wanted to invite anyone. For there was a bit of terror there, hidden in the depths of those brown eyes.

He stared at the blond for a moment, blinking rapidly. A party? He had never had a party on his birthday before, usually his friends just sent him letters and cards. His father had been against parties, but sometimes the Malfoys managed to get him for the day, to take him, Blaise, and Draco to a nice dinner. He wasn't sure if he wanted a birthday party; he hated his birthday. But perhaps this year would be different. He did know who he would want to invite, though. But he wasn't sure if he wanted them knowing what happened. They did all know he was at Hogwarts, though. So it couldn't hurt. Teddy sighed, fighting to sort the mess of thoughts in his head. “I...can Draco come? And Blaise and Neville? And Millie and Daphne?” He asked finally, naming the current group staying with the Malfoys. His friends.

“Of course. I will let the Headmistress know.” Charlie smiled, keeping the concern off his face. The child's mask was still up, much as his own was, but there was something there. Teddy did not seem happy for his birthday at all, which was a bit unusual.

“Harry and Karrie have to come too.” Teddy stated quietly. He would not have a party at all without them.

“Ah, but I already figured that. You can tell them at breakfast, which we are late for.” Charlie teased lightly, causing the mousy boy to smile for a brief second before he started trotting off. “Wait for me, Teddy!” He shook his head, following at a slower pace. He would tell the Headmistress of the boy's choices after breakfast; hopefully the present he owl-ordered would arrive today.

-x-

“Remus?”

“Yes Harry?” Remus looked up from the stack of papers he was going through, the supply and book lists that needed to be sent out soon, to raise an eyebrow at the small boy. He had been lounging in their quarters to get some work done, as the staff room was hectic and he had agreed to help with afternoon activities. But it wasn't lunch yet and he hoped that the child had told someone where he was going.

Harry hesitated, worrying his lip between his teeth for a moment. He wasn't sure if Remus would want to go with him, and he was prepared to go alone but he didn't want to get in trouble. And Karrie wanted to come too. “Tomorrow is Teddy's birthday.” He stated finally, eyes focused on the carpet. How he wished he still had his fringe!

He knew this already, of course. He was acting as a chaperone for the small party, as was Severus. He had a feeling Alexis would be there as well as the Malfoys. He was confused only for a moment as to why the child was telling him this with that downtrodden look. Like he would turn him away for something he asked. He wouldn't, even knowing that it meant he would have to continue his work later. He had to take a child gift-shopping, after all. “Would you like to get him something for his birthday, Harry?” Remus asked quietly, brown eyes soft.

“I..yes. But Karrie...can she come? She wants to get Teddy something too.” Cautious green-eyes peered up at Remus, not quite meeting his eyes. Because although they kept requesting that he meet their eyes, he knew better. Uncle had drilled it into his head. Asking to go shopping for Teddy was pushing those limits hard. It made him almost...uncomfortable. Uneasy. Scared.

“Of course she can.” Remus smiled, glancing at the timepiece. The children in Harry's group would be entering a different activity soon and he was pretty sure it was the period where Teddy met with Tim. He was quite proud to say that his ward was cunning and bright. “We could go now, if you like?” He questioned, putting his paperwork away.

“I don't want to interrupt your work, Remus. Sorry.” Harry grimaced, turning his eyes back to the floor. He had forgotten that his guardians would be working. He knew Severus was in the lab with Bain, but he hadn't thought about taking Remus away from his work. That was bad of him.

“It is alright, child. It is nothing important and I did need a break from it.” Remus forced back a sigh, standing slowly. “Why don't we find Karrie and I'll let your counselors know where you will be. Then we can head off to Hogsmeade.” He remarked quietly, summoning his robes and a money pouch. He knew that neither child would have much money, but that was alright. He had enough here to give them each a bit for Teddy, especially as they had planned to give Harry a bit of money as an allowance anyway. The child merely nodded, grinning brilliantly for a moment, before darting out the door. “Slow down, Harry!” He called out, shaking his head slightly. One moment the child was so old and the next he was acting like an excited twelve year old. How he wished Harry could be twelve all the time.

-x-

Soft green eyes scanned the bookshelves, critically evaluating each novel. Karrie ran her fingers across the spines of the books, stopping every now and then. She had wanted to find the perfect book for Teddy, although with the five galleons that Remus had given each of them, perhaps she could get him more than one.

Harry sighed impatiently, shuffling slowly beside Karrie. He knew exactly what he wanted to get Teddy; they just needed to go down to the toy store. Hopefully Karrie would make a decision soon. Girls were so slow when it came to shopping. Ugh.

“Found it!” Karrie grinned briefly, picking up a large, leather bound novel. There was another novel on the next shelf that also looked interesting. She glanced at the prices, doing a bit of quick math in her head before picking up the smaller book.

“The Complete Adventures of Sherlock Holmes? That's a good choice, Karrie.” Remus commented quietly before glancing at the small green book. _“Merlin, the Great”?_ He shook his head, biting down a smile. He had read that book once, when he was younger. He was merely glad that Karrie had found a gift without wondering into the backroom, where the child had actually wanted to go. Why a child would know of the grittier, darker books was beyond him. He led the children to the counter and then, finally, back outside. “Alright, where to Harry?”

“The toy shop.” Harry grinned, sprinting toward the store.

“Walk, Harry!” Remus called, following at a slower pace with Karrie. That boy was going to be the death of him.

Harry frowned, surveying the racks and bins of toys closely. He knew exactly what he wanted to get Teddy. He just wasn't sure if this toy store had it. He wandered aimlessly for a moment, pass the dolls and games, stopping in front of the display of Quidditch figurines. He scanned them with an air of disinterest, turning to the shelve of small figurines beside it. Enchanted animals, Griffins, unicorns...Dragons! He searched through them carefully, finally finding a great white dragon. Picking it up, he tickled its stomach, giggling when it sprouted a ring of smoke. This was perfect for Teddy. He knew the other boy missed his dragons greatly; Teddy loved dragons and wanted to work with them one day. He turned to pay, backing up suddenly, eyes fixed on the man at the counter. He looked...creepy.

“Harry? Come on.” Karrie whispered, slipping her hand into his. She watched the gray-haired scarred man out of the corner of her eyes, shuffling sideways toward where Remus was studying the back cover of a game.

“Ready, you two?” Remus asked, glancing up at the children. He frowned, noticing quickly their posture and smelling the fear that radiated off of both children. “What's wrong?” He added softly, crouching to their level.

Karrie grimaced, tilting her head slightly toward the man. She slid closer to the professor, clutching Harry's hand tighter. She knew that man from somewhere...but she couldn't remember where There was something about him that scared her though, like he could easily hurt her or Harry.

He stiffened, brown eyes scrutinizing the other man. The man smelled dangerous and familiar. The store owner didn't look happy having the man in his shop, either. He hadn't realized that the man had been released from prison, for there was no mistaking Dalius. He was actually surprised that he was alive, considering what he went to jail for. Kidnapping and raping children, even if they had been muggle children, they were still children and their society was against crimes toward any child, no matter their blood. Unfortunately, not all wizards followed that trend, as shown by the handful of pure-blooded children currently at the castle. He needed to get his children out of here, and soon. He did not like how that man was watching them and, although he could prevent the wolf inside from rising up, he would protect these children. With his life, if he had to. “Stay close to me.” Remus murmured softly, straightening and turning to put himself between the man and his children. A small hand slipping into his caused him to look down at the preteen girl. She was white and shaking, her eyes looked haunted. He squeezed the small hand comfortingly, leading the two children to the part of the counter that was furthest from the convict. He put the game on the counter next to Harry's dragon, watching the man closely out of the corner of his eye.

“Such a pretty package you have there.” The gray haired thug snarled softly, eyes raking over the boy and girl. They did not look older than ten, if that. Perfect. If he could just get their keeper away...

Remus turned, eyes flashing to amber. “Touch them and I kill you.” He growled dangerously, tightening his grasp on Karrie's hand. He dropped the requested number of galleons on the counter, shrinking and pocketing the toys before maneuvering the two children to the side furthest away from the man and ushering them out the door. The two children were still grasping each others hand and he still had hold of Karrie's, which helped them move faster. He hesitated for a brief second before leading the two into the Three Broomsticks. There was no way they would make it back to Hogwarts without that man following them and he did not want him to know where they were. Or that there were indeed children currently at Hogwarts. “Rosemerta, may we use your floo?” He questioned quietly, stopping briefly at the bar. At her nod, he moved toward the floo, crouching down once more. “We are going to floo back to Hogwarts. We will floo together so, Harry,I need you to take one of my hands, Karrie will hold the other.” He murmured quietly, keeping one eye on the door.

Harry didn't hesitate, releasing Karrie's hand to take Remus'. He had not liked that man, he had been...scary. He was a bit frightened and he knew he would feel safer at Hogwarts. Plus, Karrie was still shaking badly. He didn't feel safe right now, or he wouldn't anyway, if Remus hadn't been with them, and he knew that she didn't either. He grabbed the floo powder at Remus' direction, tossing it into the fire as his guardian softly whispered their location to the fire before being pulled into it.

-x-

Remus caught both children as they stumbled, steadying Harry for a moment before turning to Karrie. The child was still deadly pale and shaking. She was also now...crying. Oh if he could go back to that man...but he could not. All he could do was comfort these two children.

“Remus? What happened?” Severus asked, frowning slightly, when he looked up from the table where he and Bain had been working. His eyes narrowed as he watched his partner, who had been crouching next to the children, suddenly lift the girl up on his hip, swaying slightly with her. He was more surprised, however, to see Karrie, a child who hated touch and was terrified of most men, cling to him like her life depended on it.

“Shh, child. You are safe now. You are both safe now.” Remus whispered, rocking slightly with the too light child. The fact that she trusted him enough to touch her at all, to pick her up, spoke volumes. Her arms and legs were wrapped tightly around him, her body still trembling as tears soaked through his robes. She was twelve, yes, but he knew that she had also probably never had anyone hold her before; never knew what a gentle, loving touch was. Never knew what guardians were suppose to be. She wasn't his ward, yet, but she was a hurting child and she needed comfort. Much like the young boy beside him, who had wrapped his arms around his middle, his head buried into his chest. One child clinging to his neck and the other clinging to his side. If he could hold both at once, he would.

Severus hesitated for a moment, since he still did not know what had happened. But it must have been bad if it upset both of the children. He moved slowly, going to crouch near Harry. He beckoned the child and suddenly caught an armful of shaking preteen boy. Thankfully, the child had yet to hit his growth spurt, as he was easily able to lift the child up into his arms. Skinny legs wrapped around his waist as a head buried itself into his neck. “It's alright, Harry. You are safe now. You are home.” He whispered softly, catching Remus' eyes briefly. He would be getting the story in detail later. He turned at the soft touch to his shoulder, nodding gratefully at the teenaged boy. Bain was his apprentice for a reason, the boy was quite smart. He took the calming draft that he offered, watching with one eye as Bain moved to give one to Remus as well. He held the vial to Harry's lips, helping the child drink. Within minutes the boy's grip loosen and the child was asleep in his arms. A glance at Remus showed that Karrie was now asleep as well.

“I conjured an extra bed in Harry's room.” Bain murmured softly, taking the two empty vials and vanishing them. As worked up as the children had been, sleep was the best thing for them right now. That way they could calm down and they would feel better, safer.

“Thank you, Bain.” Severus replied softly, careful not to jostle his light child. He carried the boy into his room, nodding when Bain moved the covers back for him before moving to do the same for Remus. He tucked his Harry into bed, smoothing a hand over the child's hair. His child was upset and it upset him. He didn't know what was wrong, just that his child had been scared and his partner angry. It did not make him happy, that a simple trip into town would end in two children under a drugged sleep.

Remus tucked Karrie into the spare bed, setting a charm in the room to let them know if either child woke up. He moved back to their sitting room, taking a deep breath to calm himself. Bain handed him a potion and he downed it without question. The boy was not a potions master yet, nor a healer, but he knew the child would not poison him and he was learning from the best.

“What happened?”

“There was this man in the toy store...both children were terrified of him.” Remus muttered, running a hand across his face. He felt calmer now, his heart slowing back to normal. What he would give for a Fire-whiskey!

Severus frowned, narrowing his eyes. There was something that Remus wasn't saying, he knew that. It was much more than just a strange man, to scare both children. To make them wary, sure, but to terrify them to the point of tears? He glanced toward Bain, who had settled back down at the table with his assignment, before turning back to survey his partner. He knew the teenager was listening but that really wasn't a problem just yet. “Tell me. Please?”

“He was leering at them, Severus! He wanted them! He kept staring at our children like they were meat. What was worse, Karrie seemed to recognize him. I'm not sure if it was from the papers or something else, but the child was so upset by him..” Remus took a deep breath, forcing his emotions down. He wanted to tear that man limb for limb, no one would harm his children. He would tell Severus about threatening the man later; that was not something Bain needed to hear.

He bit back a growl, pacing the room. He did not like the implications of Karrie knowing this man, nor of this creep wanting his kids. He had not missed Remus calling them their _children_ after all. He was quite alright with that, actually. Karrie needed positive male figures in her life, as well as a place to call home. Just as Harry did. It was something to speak on later, however. This issue at hand was a bit more important, especially if there was a pedophile near Hogwarts. “Did you recognize him?” He asked softly, dangerously.

“If I am not mistaken, it was Dalius. How he is out of prison, I do not know.” Remus sighed, shaking his head slightly. The man shouldn't be out of prison at all, but then, he had gone to a muggle jail for some reason. Perhaps they had found it fit to release him? The soft gasp from the kitchen drew his attention. He glanced at the teenager and froze. The young man had gone white, eyes wide.

Severus cursed silently, turning to his apprentice. He knew that Bain had been severely abused, even if the boy's brilliance often overshadowed the abuse, making it seem irrelevant. It was only in moments like this, only when he could see the pain so clearly written in those eyes, that Bain seemed like the child he was. A survivor, rescued from the clutches of his muggle father, who had beaten him and locked him in a basement, and left with an uncertain future. He was magically an adult, but he could not complete any legal transaction in the Magical or Muggle worlds until he was eighteen. Without Lucius sponsoring his apprenticeship, one that he hoped to continue with the boy well after the summer was over, and Alexis taking over his guardianship, the child would be on the streets or in one of the few foster homes that accepted boys his age. Although the Ravenclaw wore a mask, he could not hide the emotion in those light blue eyes. “Bain?” He questioned softly, moving to the teenager. They had had discussions about his past before, because Bain was his apprentice and he would mentor the boy as a master should. He could not teach the boy the dangerous art of brewing if he was distracted by the demons in his mind. But getting the teen to open up to him, or anyone for that matter, was not easy.

The red head took a deep breath, forcing his mind to calm. He did remember the basics of meditation, which Severus had taught to him when he was fifteen and losing his temper often. It was perhaps the only detentions where he had to fight to keep the Professor from finding out anything about his home life. Because Severus had wanted him to _talk_ about what made him so angry. But he wouldn't, not then. And now, even though he trusted Severus completely, he was terrified. Because why would the man, or the Headmistress, care about him? Especially if they knew the truth. He sighed, pushing those thoughts down. He knew that both Severus, his Potions Master and mentor, and Alexis, his guardian, cared about him. Both had invited him into their lives with open arms. But would they really still want him around, if they knew? Tim would say he was doubting himself, falling into the thought patterns his abusers had taught him. He would probably be right, but it mattered not to him. “Sorry sir, was reading side effects of this herb.”Bain lied softly, looking away from his mentor. Hopefully the man would believe him and let it go.

Severus arched a brow, glancing at the blank worksheet in front of the young man. He had just began it; it was a pitiful lie but a lie all the same. “Which herb?” He asked silkily, glancing at Remus. The slightly older man had leaned forward, studying Bain with worried eyes. A simple name should not produce a reaction of fear and pain from the young man, not if the boy didn't know the convict.

“Valerian.” He answered instantly and then mentally smacked himself. He had studied Valerian yesterday, to see if it would work as a substitute in this potion. It would not, which was why he was once more back to the damn worksheet, trying to replace one ingredient with another, something he would have to do if he ever attempted his mastery. He cringed, waiting for a blow that would never come. His father would have hit him for lying and then hit him again for getting caught. But he was not with his father. He was with Severus and Remus, who had taken him under their wing and offered him knowledge and understanding. He flinched when a hand landed on his shoulder, but calmed quickly.

“Steady, Bain.” Severus stated softly. He squeezed the younger man's shoulder, crouching so that he was on eye level with the seated teenager. “You are safe here. You can tell us whatever is worrying you. We are here for you child, we will not judge you for your past nor hold it against you. I've told you that before. “ He coaxed gently.

He relaxed a bit, leaning into the comforting hand. He knew Severus would not harm him, no matter what he told him. That man...it was a name he remembered, from long ago. He had been ten and it was not something he wished to remember. He had blocked the memory, locked it in. But he was here, he was safe. Severus, and Remus by extension, would not let anything happen to him. Or Alexis would have their head; he had heard her threats to Severus after all, involving him and experimental potions. “I knew him...once.” He whispered finally, staring at his hands. The man had been in jail for five years, he had felt quite relived when he had found that out. It had been all over the muggle newspapers. He had been sentenced on six counts of kidnapping and three counts of rape...the man should still be in jail. But he was a wizard...in a muggle prison. He had probably found a way out, which did not make him feel well at all. Even if the man was on parole, it was not...right. He shouldn't be on parole so soon.

“How?”

The quiet question shook him from his thoughts, forcing him to focus on Severus once more. He didn't really want to answer and he knew Severus would accept that, but somehow he felt it was important that he did. They just didn't need to know the details. “He took me when I was ten, beat me into submission and then left me wandering in a park when he was finished with me.” Bain shrugged, forcing to keep his voice level, his face expressionless.

Severus growled under his breath, fighting his urge to break something. Remus would not be happy if he destroyed their sitting room. Again. He could have guessed, to be honest, from the pain in the boy's eyes and knowing Dalius' crimes. How many more children had the man abused before getting caught? Before someone finally broke the silence? He understood the fear of speaking up quite well, he knew that abusers often threatened the children to make them too scared to tell. But the silence needed to be broken. Children needed to know that it was alright to tell someone, that there was someone out there who actually cared about what happened to them. That was what Bain and Karrie, Teddy and Harry, all needed to hear. That someone cared for them. That it wasn't their fault. Because he knew exactly what Bain wasn't saying, that the man had raped him. And he knew why Bain hadn't spoken up. Who would believe him if he had? His abusive father? His submissive mother? By the time he had come to Hogwarts, the child had been so used to being silent that he didn't know how to tell a teacher about it. He didn't know he could. It wasn't until the boy was older that they had finally managed to get him to say anything and that was only because his anger was so out of control. “It was not your fault, Bain. You are safe now. He will never hurt you again.” Severus replied finally, gently squeezing the boy's shoulder once more. That vile being would never hurt _any_ child again if he had something to say about it.

The young man merely nodded, looking away. He knew this. Deep down. But that didn't mean he had to believe it. He knew he was dirty, used. Or he used to be, anyway. He was alright now. Safe. Cared for. Or at least that is what he kept telling himself.

Severus hesitated, before straightening slowly. He held a hand out to Bain, pulling the boy to his feet and into his arms when he trustingly took his hand. He felt the young man stiffen briefly but he quickly relaxed, wrapping lanky arms ,that he had finally grown into, around him in return; a young head burrowing into his shoulder. He was not a cold man; he knew when a child needed comfort and by Merlin he would comfort this child.

Bain finally, after a few minutes of the comforting hug, pulled back, swiping at his eyes. He was not crying, his eyes were just leaking slightly. He gave Severus a quick smile of thanks because now he felt much better, safer. He was also hoping the man forgot his bit of deceit. But alas, if wishes were pie..

“Now, boy. Lines.” Severus smirked, waving his hand at the table. A roll of parchment and a pen appeared. The child was muggleborn; his skills with a quill made his eyes burn and his head throb. Although he was teaching the boy to write better with one, he knew quite well that most European wizards used a certain type of pen or pencil. He often used a pen for taking quick notes and a pencil for corrections or changes to a potion recipe. The young man knew better than to lie to him, even if he had been trying to avoid a difficult topic.

Bain rolled his eyes, glancing at the parchment. _“I will not lie to Master Severus.”_ A hundred times? The man must be feeling lenient. His hands were going to be stained with ink before the summer was over. He had spent most of yesterday evening, after the boys had gone to bed, writing his assigned _“I will not touch stinging nettles or squeeze nightshade berries with my bare hands”_ three hundred times. Although, that was much better than the threat the man had made, a promise really, that if he ever tried to brew an experimental potion or a mastery level potion by himself, that Severus would spank him. He didn't doubt the man either. He already had felt that man's stinging charm when he had ignored his own safety for the sake of a potion. Adults were so...weird about being safe. It was a bit confusing, but he had decided that it merely meant they cared and that was a good thing, he supposed. After all, why would they take the time to explain their reasons and _lovingly_ discipline him if they didn't care?


	14. Birthday Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter, and the last one, contain mention of rape. Fair warning.

He shook violently, eyes closed tight. He couldn't shake the nightmares, they wouldn't go away. Teddy knew if he left the common room that a ward would trigger and wake his counselors, so he stayed there, curled up into a ball on that couch. Harry and Karrie had not returned to the camp yet. They had gone somewhere while he was with Tim and when he went to art, they weren't there. Harry might not keep away the nightmares but it helped, knowing that his friend was nearby. Tonight he didn't know where either of them were. It bothered him a little, because they were his friends and he worried about them, but it was not at the forefront of his mind at that moment. Because the monsters were back and he couldn't fight them off. Tomorrow was his birthday; birthdays had always been bad to him. He couldn't remember ever being happy on his birthday, it was a day of pain and humiliation. It was the day he was born and often times, it was the day he wished he hadn't been. He had tried, briefly, the year before to end this nightmare, but he couldn't. He hadn't been strong enough. Or perhaps he had been too strong. He wasn't sure, he was only twelve..no _thirteen_ now. So perhaps he should know more, being thirteen, but it wasn't like he would change over night. Right now, he wished Tim hadn't taken his blades. He could conjure one, but it was not his strong suit and he wasn't sure he even knew how just yet. They hadn't learned conjuring yet, just cheering charms and simple spells. Nothing that he could harm himself with. He needed the pain, he needed to clear his head, to make the demons go away. To punish himself. Because he was bad, tainted. Shaking.

“Teddy?”

He shrank further back into the couch, his arms moving automatically to protect his head. He knew that voice though. The voice had never hurt him, not yet anyway, so he didn't think he would. But he might, people were unpredictable that way.

Charlie stopped moving, watching the child careful. He had to be in the throes of a nightmare or flashback. “I won't hurt you, Teddy. You are safe. You are at Hogwarts, at camp.” He stated softly, crouching slowly, still quite a bit away from the child. He didn't want to be looming over the boy, it might upset him. He did have a feeling, though, that this might be beyond his level of help. That he might have to call in reinforcements. And he would, if needed.

He took a deep breath, trying to lock down his mind once more. But it wasn't working. He knew, rationally, that Charlie would not hurt him...but that didn't make him any less afraid. He lowered his arms slowly, eyes open and staring blankly into the dark. He wasn't sure how the man had even know he was there, but it didn't really matter. He just wanted to be alone. And to cut. But Teddy knew that Charlie probably wouldn't agree with either of those ideas. After all, he was an adult and adults were weird about things like that.

“Teddy? Could you tell me what's wrong please?” Charlie asked softly. A rapid head shake was his only answer. He bit back a sigh, rocking back on his heels. He couldn't help the child if he refused to tell him what was wrong. He could see that the child was terrified, but he didn't know of what or why. “Did you have a bad dream, Teddy?” No answer. Perhaps if he kept talking, the child would answer. Even if he didn't, it might make him feel safer. He knew it used to make him feel safer, when someone would just talk to him; it helped him out of his own nightmares. Perhaps it would help this child. It was worth a try. “You are safe here, Teddy. Whatever has upset you cannot harm you here. Nothing will harm you here.”

Teddy calmed a bit more, breathing slowly. He couldn't talk about it, he knew that. But Charlie also made him feel safer. Much safer. He wasn't alone now and that helped greatly. It was much better than trying to handle the demons in his mind and the daunting shadows surrounding him alone. The light globe in the bunks helped with the shadows a bit but there was no light globe out here. The shadows taunted him, making him think that something was there when it wasn't. He hated that. He was no child, to be afraid of the dark. No, he wasn't afraid. But it was terrifying sometimes, when his mind would not quiet. Like tonight. His mind was too loud, his thoughts too wild. He couldn't control it, couldn't stop it. And that scared him. Because he needed control, so badly. That's why he harmed himself sometimes. For the control. He also deserved the pain but that was a different matter entirely. “Sorry Charlie. Couldn't sleep.” He murmured finally, voice rough.

He might wear a bland mask but the child could not hide the emotional drain in his voice or the fear in his eyes. It was moments like these when he thought that boy seemed much older than he actually was. And he got that, Charlie understood the reasoning for it well. But that didn't make it any easier. “That's quite alright Teddy. Would you like to talk about it?” He questioned softly, watching the child fidget and shake. The boy was still shaking badly but not as much as he had been.

Teddy shook his head, eyes on his hands. He wished he could just dig his nails into his arms, but Charlie would see and that would be bad. He couldn't hurt himself in front of people, he just couldn't. And while Tim had told him that he could tell them when he felt like hurting himself, he didn't think he could. He couldn't hurt himself and he couldn't speak about it. Because if he did it would feel real again and he didn't want it to be real. He didn't want to think about his birthday. He didn't want to remember. He shivered, shaking the feeling of imaginary hands away. He was safe here, mostly. Most importantly, his father wasn't here. But that didn't get the images out of his head, that didn't make his mind shut up. No, if anything it seemed to become louder. Because he was bad. Dirty. Tainted. Worthless.

“Teddy?” Charlie called gently, frowning at the glazed over expression. He knew that expression, he had seen it occasionally during his time training to work with children. But he also seen it often in the group sessions. There was often one child with that absent expression, that one child who was, one way or another, triggered into a flashback or deep in the depths of their own mind. He had become something of an expert of drawing a child out of their own mind but he wasn't sure if he could, this time. Because even as he watched, Teddy seemed to be locking down. His breaths came faster, in gasps, and his body was rigid, tense. The child was close to have a panic attack and he didn't even know the cause!

_Dirty little freak._ No. _Such a monster, you are._ Please. _You deserve this, don't you?_ No..yes. He groaned, trying to force the thoughts down once more. He had been alright, briefly, when Charlie had started trying to calm him. But it was back with a vengeance now. Because he was bad and he deserved it. He deserved the pain, mental and physical. He knew that. It was becoming harder to breathe, his chest was starting to hurt. He only knew one way to make it better, to make it so he could breathe. He couldn't calm his mind so he did the next best thing. His fingers found a scab near his shoulder and he scratched it off, groaning with relief as the pain allow his lungs to expand and constrict. He scratched off another scab and then another, fighting down a shudder. It hurt but it felt good. The pain felt good.

Charlie dropped his hand from his pendent, hesitating for a moment. If he touched the child, he might send him into a flashback or deeper in one. But if he didn't...he gently took the small wrist in his grasp, rubbing a small circle with his thumb against the boy's wrist when he tried to jerk away. “Shh. Steady there, Teddy. I won't hurt you. But I can't have you harming yourself either. Take a deep breath for me, alright?” He instructed quietly, not bothering to look when he heard the floo go off.

He took the requested breath, shaking slightly. Charlie had startled him for a moment but the pain was helping, even if the nightmares were still fighting for his attention. He could push them back a bit now, his eyes focusing on the blood spilling down his arm. Charlie wouldn't heal him; the older man would realize how foolish that would be. He didn't want to be healed. He needed the pain. Desperately. He needed much more, actually. But he was not dumb enough to think that Charlie would allow that.

Tim surveyed the pair on the couch for a moment before sticking his head back into the floo briefly. He would take Teddy back to Alexis' quarters, where he had been, if the child was alright with that. Hopefully, he would feel safe enough there to speak with them. He might take Charlie with them as well...The young man looked like he needed someone to lean on. Or a stiff drink. He bit back a sigh, noting Teddy's sluggishly bleeding arm. That would need healing, then, if the young man let him. He wasn't so sure the boy would, but he _was_ going to stop the bleeding. “Teddy, Charlie.” He moved toward them slowly, making enough noise so as not to frighten Teddy. Brown eyes snapped to his before relaxing minutely. The child was still shaking, still fighting inner demons but he was with them. He would hopefully not have to draw a mind out of a flashback tonight. That was never pleasant, for the patient or himself. “Why don't the three of us go somewhere more comfortable...and better lit?” He suggested gently, crouching down near Teddy.

Teddy hesitated, eyes darting between the two adults. He was not blocked in. Actually, both seemed to be giving him as much space as he needed while still being _there_. That made him feel a bit better. And being somewhere with the lights actually on might help. If nothing else, his demons were a bit less scary in the light. “Where?”

He recognized the uncertainty in the child's voice and smiled. “Alexis has invited us to use her living quarters.” Tim replied quietly, intently watching the small face. There was fear there, a lot of fear, but he wasn't sure what it was focused on.

Teddy forced his face to stay blank, though the very thought made his insides feel warmer. His Headmistress' quarters, although unknown, would be safe. Because she would be there, or around anyway, and she was safe. “May Charlie come?” He asked finally, glancing up.

Charlie blinked, staring at the child. Although he loved these children, he was still surprised that one of them would want him. Especially when Alexis was around, as that woman was quite good. Good at calming, at caring, at listening. He was not that good. He could not even get the child to tell him what was wrong.

“Of course he may, Teddy. Before we floo there, however, may I heal your arm?” Tim questioned, raising an eyebrow when the boy shrank back and started to shake again.

“No. Please...no.” He whimpered. The pain was holding the monsters at bay. He needed it. Badly. Otherwise he would get drawn deeper into it. And he couldn't be. He couldn't talk about it and he didn't want to think about it. He just needed pain.

“I merely want to stop the bleeding, Teddy. I will not take away the pain if you wish.” He bit back a sigh, holding out a hand to the child. He knew that the boy would understand the gesture. It was not the first time he had asked to heal him, after all. Teddy hesitated for a moment but finally a small hand was in his and he let a drop of healing magic flow up it, knitting skin back together. But he did not heal it completely, that would have just caused more problems. He left the wounds pink and scabbed, with the small bit of pain still there. It would do more harm than good to take away the boy's pain. It would also cause him to lose the fragile trust they were building. He released the child's hand, gesturing toward the floo. It was quite time they spoke about what was upsetting him.

-x-

Wide brown eyes were surveying her sitting room in what she assumed was surprise. Clearly the child had not expected her quarters to be so...homey. She hadn't either, to be honest. Alexis smiled softly at the child when he looked at her, noting the spark of fear etched in his eyes. She didn't like being in the dark, but she had a feeling that neither of the men knew what was wrong with her child either. “Welcome Teddy.” She broke the silence finally, gesturing to an armchair and offering the child a mug of hot chocolate. Chocolate was an amazing calming agent.

Teddy accepted the drink with a frown, sniffing it for a moment before taking a hesitant sip. His father was one to put unpleasantness into his drinks..But he would not think about that. No. He felt safe now...well safer. He didn't think he would truly feel safe tonight. He was with his Headmistress and Tim and Charlie. They wouldn't let anyone harm him, although he did know they would try to get him to talk. He'd refuse. He easily could just stay silent.

Tim waited until they were all seated with mugs in hand before turning to the child once more. “Could you tell us what is bothering you, Teddy?” He raised an eyebrow when the child squirmed, not looking at any of them, but kept his expression calm. He was worried about the child, something was very wrong here.

He flinched, shaking his head slowly. He couldn't tell them. He couldn't. It would make it worse, not better. _You are bad. Dirty. Tainting others is unacceptable._ He shuddered, trying to shake the voice from his head. Perhaps he was going mad, to hear voices. But he doubted it. He knew that voice, knew it well. There was no mistaking his father; no forgetting the words he had spoken so often. Words that he repeated to himself even now, because they were true. He was bad. Wasn't he?

Alexis leaned forward, frowning slightly. The way the child was shaking was not good. She had seen such behaviour before, in patients who were recalling frightening memories or thoughts. “Teddy, we cannot help you unless we know what is going on. I know it is difficult, but please try to trust us. We will not harm you and we will not let harm come to you. I promised you that, remember? I would never break a promise.” She stated finally, gray eyes meeting brown. She avoided Tim's gaze, knowing very well that while she would never break a promise to this child, or any of her students, she had broken a few to the other healer before. But she was merely human after all. This child was hurting; she needed him to open up, otherwise she could not help him and she hated her children suffering for any reason.

He bit his lip hard, absently digging his fingers into the soft flesh on the inside of his wrist. The monsters were still there, in the back of his mind. He could only fight them down for so long. But talking would get him beaten. He knew that. But he also knew that they would not let him leave until he said _something_ , although he did not particularly want to leave just yet. He needed this feeling of safety. It wasn't that he didn't trust his professor or his healer, he did. He just...wasn't used to this. Wasn't used to adults caring about what was bothering him. Mr. Malfoy and Professor Snape cared, sure, but that was different somehow. And usually they would drop it after a while, when he kept refusing to answer. But he knew that Alexis and Tim, even Charlie, wouldn't just let it drop. Sometimes he wished they wouldn't care and he could think of quite a few things they could do with their care. Because caring made it difficult to remain indifferent, to be silent and just let the bad things happen. Their care made him feel safe and he did not deserve to feel safe. He was bad, after all. “I'm fine, Professor. Just couldn't sleep.” He shrugged finally, staring down at his lap.

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes in an attempt to not snap her usual reply to such an obvious lie. For one, it would not help the situation. And for another, the child was not quite at an age to appreciate it just yet. “I am aware that you are breathing, Teddy. But that doesn't make you alright. “ The blank return stare made her sigh. “A wise man once informed me that he thought 'I'm fine' was abused childese for 'at least I'm breathing'.” She explained softly, raising an eyebrow when the child glared at her.

“I'm not abused!” Teddy growled, eyes dark. He wasn't abused. He had been treated correctly. He had deserved it. Perhaps what his father had done with not right, but he had deserved it. The man said so. Repeatedly. So it wasn't abuse. Not in his case, anyway.

Charlie snorted into his mug, shaking his head slightly. Hadn't he once thought much the same? Two pairs of eyes glanced at him but he turned to focus on the child instead. “Then I guess Harry wasn't abused. Or Karrie. Lexie and Elijah, Robert. Hannah. Benjamin, Michael, Daniel, Jamie, Ariana. Rose, Nicholas, Marko, Milo. If what happened to you was not abuse, then none of them were abused either, by your logic.” He retorted silkily, naming the current members of the “E” group. The children who were so extremely abused that all of their guardianships' had been terminated and transferred either to the school or to a relative. Abuse that was so horrendous that seasoned healers paled or turned green, depending on the case. Abuse that made healers who regularly dealt with abused cases swear violently and break things. The look Tim was sending him made him squirm for a moment, but it was what the child needed to hear. Perhaps he should have worded it better, he just wanted the boy to realize what he was saying clearly, without any way to interpret it wrongly.

Teddy frowned, kicking his feet. Harry and Karrie had definitely been abused, from the definition Mr. Malfoy had once gave to his group of friends. Actually, everyone at the camp had suffered from some form of mistreatment, although he knew that the ones Charlie mentioned were really bad cases. They were all in his group. Which meant... “Fuck.” He whispered, staring at the floor. He knew his father had been doing bad things. But he had never equated it with abuse. Because was it abuse if you deserved it? But then, that was the same question Michael had asked yesterday and Jake had been quick to inform them that none of them deserved to be treated like that. No one deserved such treatment. So why did he?

She could see the thoughts swirling around the child's head, ignoring the soft curse. She had said worse, after all. Charlie might not have much subtlety but his words were true. “ _Kind?_ ” She questioned softly, drawing the child's attention to her. “What happened to you was wrong, I know it is hard to accept but it was. You did not deserve it. No one deserves to be abused.”

Teddy nodded, blinking at the German word. The affection in it, however, told him that it was not a bad thing. Not at all. Knowing that it was bad didn't make the monsters go away. But he suspected that little would. Except... “It's... my birthday.” He admitted finally, looking between his professor and Tim for a moment. For some reason, he really did want to be honest with them. But he just knew he would be beaten for it.

“Did something happen on your birthdays, Teddy?” Tim questioned gently, shifting forward slightly. The child looked like he could fall into a panic attack quickly. His only answer was a slight nod.

“Teddy...your father will never harm you again. I will not allow it. Do not be afraid to speak here. You are safe.” Alexis remarked softly, gray eyes meeting brown. She wouldn't, either. That bastard of a man was lucky to be alive. He would never see the child again if she could help it, and she could.

He was safe and perhaps his father would never find out if he spoke about it. But was he brave enough to do so? He wasn't a Gryffindor, after all. He was a Slytherin; cunning, ambitious, bright, and sneaky. But Slytherins were also loyal to their true friends and brave when they needed to be; they just didn't take foolish risks or rush in without having six or seven backup plans. He could do this, he could at least tell them a little. He trusted them and knew honesty would even help him feel better. “He...a lot happened on my birthdays. Usually he belted me...and then that night he always did the bad things. Because I took my mother from him.” He spoke hesitantly, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. He didn't want to see their disgust or pity.

“I will have to ask Lucius for exact dates, but I am quite sure that your mother passed when you were a toddler, Teddy. From a disease not commonly found in the wizarding community. You did not take her from your father.” Alexis clarified softly, gray eyes warm. But inside she was ice. The vile man blamed his son, who had only been two or three and could not ever remember his mother, for her death? It was cruel but it had probably served the man's purposes to make Teddy feel like he deserved such abuse. It was worrying, the way Teddy spoke of the 'bad' things. She was almost afraid to ask. But she could guess at his meaning.

“Your mother's death was not your fault. Nor does her death excuse your father's behaviour. What were the bad things, Teddy?” Tim inquired, eyebrows knitting together. Some people should not be allowed to have children. But if they didn't, these wonderful, insightful, intelligent, hurting individuals would not be part of this world. It would be better if their children were taken away and raised properly earlier on, so that these children could be nurture and loved. Taught to accept care without question and love without suspicion. But life was not always ideal and he could not fix the world. His only hope, his only goals, were to heal these children. Because they needed someone desperately. Someone to listen, someone to care. And sometimes, as in the case of Alexis and Severus, someone to guide and correct them. Someone to teach and love them. They did not need, nor deserve, cruelty or abuse. No one did.

“Erm..” He couldn't speak of the bad things. Could he? They would think he was dirty and tainted. They'd really know how much of a freak he really was. His breathing got shorter and he closed his eyes, forcing the panic down. It wouldn't make them stop caring, he had to believe that. He just had to.

Charlie hesitated, but he could see the panic building in the younger boy. The child's fingers were already starting to cut into his wrist. He could easily guess what the bad things were, from group discussions and his own childhood. It was a risk but he also knew how it felt to find out the he wasn't alone. That someone else had been there too. Someone else had felt that dirty, that _used_. “It's hard to talk about the bad things, Teddy. But talking makes it better. If it makes it any easier, I'll tell you a secret of mine.” He said finally, catching the child's eyes. He ignored Tim and Alexis for the moment, knowing that if he looked at them he would lose his nerve. It didn't help that he had told no one this, ever, and yet he was about to reveal it to a newly turned thirteen year old and two older adults who he looked up to. Teddy gave a small nod and he bit his lip, not knowing the best way to phrase it. Bluntly would not work here, not for either of them. He knew Jake and Mary suspected, after a few interesting group meetings that left him a bit...snappy. “When I was younger my fa..friend forced himself on me, several times.” The gasp that met his statement was not surprising. He knew the child understood his meaning clearly.

“But you're so strong.” Teddy protested, eyes wide. If someone like Charlie had been...hurt like him, then maybe he wasn't alone. He knew Karrie had been raped, but that was different. She was a girl.

Alexis' eyes narrowed, not having missed his fumble before he said it was a friend. So Charlie's father had raped him...and no one ever caught this. Hogwarts had failed so many. No more. She wouldn't let it happen any more. Her students deserved better.

“So are you. It doesn't make you weak or dirty, Teddy. Just hurt. It happens to so many people. It isn't right, but it does. Now, your turn.” Charlie shrugged, raising an eyebrow at the child. Hopefully the boy would not repeat it to anyone, but he didn't think he would. Teddy was smart, after all. He would know a secret when he heard one.

“My father...did a lot of things. I don't know what some of them are called but the last two years he...forced himself on me.” Teddy murmured finally. Forced was better than raped, anyway. At least to his mind. He shook slightly, not daring to look up. He didn't want to see their pity and disgust. Although, Charlie had been..hurt too, and they didn't look at him like that.

“What your father did was not your fault Teddy. He was in the wrong here. No one deserves to be treated like that, ever.” Tim remark finally, causing brown eyes to look up at him. There was no pity on his face, nor would there be. The child did not need pity. He needed love and understanding. And although he would like to explore the subject of the child's abuse, especially now that he was admitting to the sexual abuse, it was late and the child was visibly still shaken. Exhausted.

Alexis frowned, watching the child shake still. He was hurting and he needed comfort but the child would not ask for it, she knew that. She beckoned to him with a soft smile, setting her tea aside. Her body ached and she was tired, but she was also quite willing to hug this child, if he would allow it.

Teddy hesitated, turning the thoughts over in his head. His father had always told him that he was bad and that he didn't deserve comfort, but his father had hurt him and Tim said that was bad. It wasn't his fault. He wasn't bad, perhaps. Just...hurt. He stood slowly, took a deep breath and finally gave in, throwing himself into her welcoming arms and crawling onto her lap. He shifted slightly so that his weight, light as it was, wouldn't hurt his professor. She was too skinny, after all.

She held him tight, rocking him softly and whispering comforting words into his ear. He wasn't crying but he was shaking still. Slowly he calmed down and she could feel the child relaxing in her arms. She glanced over his head and frowned slightly, catching Tim's eyes. He merely nodded, turning back to the young man in front of him.

Charlie shook slightly, staring blankly at his lap. He had never told anyone that before and yet, he just told a child. What he would do for a fire whiskey about now. A warm hand rested on his shoulder, causing him to force back a flinch. A gentle hand grasped his chin, lifting his eyes up to meet brown.

“Deep breaths, Charlie. You are safe and cared for now. By Merlin, if it takes Alexis and I all summer, we will help you. You are not alone now.” Tim murmured softly, squeezing the boy's shoulder. He felt the younger man relax slightly as blue eyes glistened with tears that he knew would not fall. The younger man would be alright, both of them would be. It would just take time.

-x-

“Teddy!” He grinned, racing across the room to his friend, Karrie following at a more subdue pace.

“Harry. Hallo Karrie.” Teddy replied with a smile, eyes taking in the room. It wasn't a very large room but it was big enough for a small party and that was what they were having. He was still a bit afraid, though he would never said it aloud. But he knew he was safe. He had woken up in a bed next to Bain this morning; the older boy had a room in Alexis' quarters as well as at the camp, apparently he had also had a bad day yesterday. His professor had reassured him once more, at breakfast, that he was safe and that she would let no one harm him. For some reason, he believed her. But that didn't stop the fear from rising.

“Hallo Teddy. Happy Birthday.” Karrie touched his arm softly, a Slytherin gesture of comfort that Millie had taught her. She understood the disdain for birthdays. Hers had always been a bit...sad. But she was actually looking forward to August, when she would finally celebrate a birthday with her friends. Besides, she felt safe with the boys, even after yesterday.

“Thanks Karrie.” He glanced toward the door and smirked, nodding toward the small group bickering there. “It seems that the rest of our friends have arrived.” He stated dryly, causing his two friends to turn toward the door. He did a quick mental count and frowned. He didn't see Neville in the group, but perhaps he was behind Blaise? The Italian was bigger than him, after all.

“'Ello Mate!” Blaise grinned, striving forward with Draco beside him.

“Once more, Mr. Zabini. Speak properly.” Lucius scolded, bringing up the rear of the group. He turned back to Alexis and Severus, shaking his head. “I swear that child is pushing for more lessons.”

Draco smirked, catching Teddy's eye. Both of them knew that the Italian would just dissolve into worse speech patterns to irritated his father. Blaise was like that. “Good afternoon.” He greeted pleasantly, knowing better than to ignore his upbringing. He glanced toward the girls and sighed. They had been trying to get Neville to relax but it wasn't really working.

Karrie frowned, moving toward her friends. Millie and Daphne were focused on someone behind them and as she got closer, she realized exactly who it was. “Millie, Daphne.” She greeted softly, before turning green eyes back to Neville. “Calm down Longbottom, or I'll hex you.” She added, grinning at the boy. Neville hesitated but grinned back, relaxing quickly.

“Well damn. If we knew threats worked, we would have tried it sooner.” The linting, loud tone of Blaise came. His accent was still thick sometimes, even after years of trying to sound more English.

“Mr. Zabini!” Lucius scolded, shaking his head. That boy was going to turn him gray faster than his own sons.

“Only Karrie is allowed to threaten me.” Neville growled, locking eyes with the slightly smaller girl.

“Alright, children. Everyone take a seat and we shall start with cake.” Alexis ordered, biting back a sigh. There were only eight children there, but she had a feeling that eight would be more than enough. Especially with only three adults and Bain to supervise. She knew that Charlie and Phil had already given the child their gifts, since they did have nine other boys to mind. It was going to be a long evening.

-x-

Millie frowned, shaking her head. It didn't matter what Karrie said, she wasn't going to tell Mr. Malfoy. “Come on, Karrie. It's Teddy's birthday, so just drop it.”

Karrie scowled but gave in. If her friend wouldn't tell, then she would. And soon. She turned her eyes back to the group of boys, who were acting out some ridiculous story with the dragons and other magical creatures. “Alright. Let's get Neville to play.” She murmured finally, striding toward the shy boy and looping her arm around his before pulling him into the middle of the dragon battle.

“Oh no! It's the magical Unicorns! They'd come to stop the Red Dragon's army!” Millie shrieked, grabbing one of the free dragons and flying it dramatically toward Karrie and Neville. The boys and Daphne paused in their mock battle for a moment before Teddy grinned and tossed two of the Unicorns to Karrie and Neville.

“Defend Old White, my unicorns!” He cried, falling to the ground with his dragon and making it crash spectacularly to the ground.

“He's injured! Oh no!” Harry shouted, his own black dragon spewing puffs of smoke as he brought it to hoover above Teddy's old White, the one he was proud to have given his friend. He turned it toward Draco's army so that Sparky, the black dragon, could defend Old White.

Karrie grinned, her unicorn flying through the air with her to tackle Blaise's green dragon. “Take that, you vile being!”

“Hey! Unicorns can't fly!” Blaise protested, dive bombing her unicorn with his dragon.

“Magical Unicorns can!” Karrie retorted, spearing the dragon with her silver unicorns horn.

Neville smirked, his own Unicorn trampling over a fallen small Red. “You'll never conquer us!”

“Oh yeah?” Daphne giggled, grabbing another dragon as her's was now out.

“All Unicorns are magical!” Blaise scowled, trying to pull his dragon free.

“Well some are more magical.” Karrie shrugged.

“Nauh.”

“Uhhuh”

“He can't fly, Karrie! It's cheating!” He snapped.

“ _She_ can! You're out.”

“No!”

“Yes!

“Your rules are stupid.” He snapped, shoving her. He hadn't meant to, he didn't really think it through first. Nor had either of the pair noticed the adults that had started toward them. She didn't shove him back, which wasn't really surprising if he thought about it. But he had forgotten that he was playing with Karrie, who wasn't used to roughhousing like the other boys were. Even though Teddy and Harry were reluctant to rough house. He froze when she hit the ground, frowning when she started to shake. Uh-oh. That was bad. He hadn't meant to hurt her. He had just been getting frustrated. He jumped when a firm hand landed on his shoulder, tilting his head back to look up into Mr. Malfoy's face. He was in trouble now.

Karrie trembled, staying where she had landed. She knew Blaise had just been playing but...she couldn't play rough like that. She couldn't. It surprised her that before anyone else reached her, Harry and Teddy had, dropping down beside her on either side. Neville also moved near her but he knew enough to keep his distance. They had all stopped playing when Blaise had shoved her. Which was unexpected. She hadn't meant to interrupt their game. She flinched back when a shadow loomed over her, feeling Teddy and Harry lean against her in silent support, before the shadow was gone and someone, an adult, was crouching in front of her.

“Karrie. You are safe. Breathe, child.” Alexis murmured softly, for the ears of her three charges alone. The children had been playing so well and then this happened. She knew that these three children did not play often, did not act like the children they actually were. And she hated that; for soon they would believe that they were too old to play such games. But they were not.

Karrie took a shuddering breath, trying to still her panic. She had to keep face, even if they were her friends, she knew that. She couldn't let them see her fall apart, not over something as simple as a shove. And she knew he hadn't meant to harm her. He had just been being hot-headed Blaise, who often acted without thought. The Headmistress' presence was calming, even as the woman whispered calming words to her. She knew Teddy trusted her and that carried much weight, so she was not hesitant to trust the older woman. She knew instinctively that Alexis would never harm her and that she would do her best to protect her. She took a deep breath, slowly allowing her mind and body to calm.

She smiled softly at the child, waiting until she was calming down before offering her a hand. The girl was hesitant but took her hand finally and she pulled her to her feet, biting back a grin when the two boys stood automatically, still flanking their friend. She cast a silent, wandless diagnostic spell and nodded when it came back normal. The child wasn't hurt, at least not physically. “You alright, Karrie?” She murmured finally, meeting the young girl's eyes.

“Yes professor. I think I'm alright now.” Karrie replied, equally soft, leaning against her two best friends. It had been less than a week, but the boys had quickly grown on her and she didn't want to be separated from them. They were stronger, in all ways, when they were together.

Alexis nodded, turning to find Lucius. She bit back a sigh, spotting the older man easily. He was directing the other children to cleaning up and getting their things together while keeping an eye on the boy in the corner. She knew that giving the child time to think over his behaviour had probably been the best course of actions, as he did seem to have a quick temper.

Lucius caught Alexis' eye and turned to the younger man. “Come Blaise.” He ordered softly. The young teen shuffled out of the corner and over to him, biting his lip. He rested a gentle hand on his shoulder, placing a finger under the child's chin so that he had to meet his eyes. “We will work on it.” He murmured gently. And they would, the child had to learn to control his temper. He knew the boy was bound to act out, his mother had just got married again, for the eighth time, and that meant another round of not knowing what to expect from his newest Stepfather. “Now, I believe you have something to say to Karrie?”

Blaise grimaced but nodded, turning and walking slowly over to his friends. The glares Teddy and Harry sent him made him feel much worse, but he understood why. He shouldn't have acted like that, he knew better. And of course, he kept finding himself in corners this week. First for getting in a fight with Draco and then for losing his temper with Neville. And now for this. For shoving Karrie, who hadn't deserved it at all. He couldn't even justify his actions this time. “I'm sorry Karrie. I was a right ass.” He stated finally, meeting her eyes for a moment.

Lucius groaned, placing his head in his hands. That was not what he meant by an apology. He would have to fix that child's language, and soon.

“You were a right ass. But I forgive you.” Karrie replied and smirked, raising an eyebrow at him. He grinned in response. All was well between them then.

“Mr. Zabini, Ms.Vona. I do not want to hear such language again, or I will wash both of your mouths out.” Severus drawled from the door way, frowning at the two children. Alexis was no help here, she looking like she was trying desperately not to laugh. Indeed, he also found their banter entertaining, but that did not mean he would have two children who fell into the habit of swearing. Especially if one of them was to become his ward. The chorus of 'yes sires' did not reassure him, not when they were said amongst giggles. It was time to take Harry and Karrie back to their quarters for the weekend; time for the manor brats to return home.

Lucius sighed, beckoning his charges to him, nodding to his two friends, and leading the five children toward the nearest floo. They would be back in a few weeks, he was sure, for Harry's birthday and then Karrie's. As well as the three coming to the manor for Neville's birthday. The children would get to see each other again soon and he would badly need a fire-whiskey before that.

-x-

Alexis watched the child sitting in her quarters, biting back a smile. She had invited him back here after the party, for a question she needed to ask him. Hopefully, Teddy, as well as Bain, would spend the weekend in her quarters. She had come to find

that she liked having children here, whether they were these two or any of her dozen or so wards. Many of the children had spent an afternoon here, after learning that their parents had lost custody or given them up. Others had come for comfort when they needed it or when they landed in trouble. Her nineteen wards, if she counted Bain and didn't count Karrie, were a handful and someone was always in some form of trouble. She could not adopt them all and some of them already had other teachers interested in taking them in. Karrie, for instance, was soon going to be the ward of Severus and Remus, if the child agreed. The girl was already staying with them this weekend, as something of a trial period. She had been hesitant to do this today but she felt that this might be the best present she could give the child. “Teddy, there is something you should know. When Mr. Malfoy came this afternoon, he brought with him a guardianship form. For you. Your father has lost all of his rights and he can never touch you again.” She remarked finally, gently.

Teddy blinked, face blank. He would not have been surprised if the man have not wanted him. But that he had been taken from him? That was shocking, that someone cared enough to take him away. He could only think of a handful who would care. Severus. Mr. Malfoy. Tim. Charlie. And...Alexis. “Do I have a new guardian, professor?” He asked finally, looking up at her. It didn't hurt as much as he thought it would, to be honest. He actually felt...relieved.

“You do. If that guardian is unacceptable, then we shall find you a guardian who you like. But if it is acceptable to you, I am your new guardian with the option to adopt you, should you wish, in a few months time.” She explained quietly, fighting the urge to bite her lip. It was a nervous habit and she was a bit nervous. The child might not accept her, although he had already worked his way into her heart.

He froze, staring at her blankly for a moment. She wanted him? She _wanted_ him! And then Teddy did something that he would have once been ashamed of, since he was used to emotions being bad. But he didn't care now. Because she wanted him. So he was out of his chair and hugging her hard in a matter of seconds.

“I take it, that's a yes then.” Alexis grinned, returning the hug and ruffling his hair.

“Is this a private party, or can anyone join?” Bain drawled from where he lounged against the door. So he now had a mother _and_ a brother. Perhaps Severus was right and life really did get better.

“Of course, Bain. We will have to set Teddy up his own room tomorrow. But for tonight, you can share.” She teased, enlarging her chair was a wave of her hand. She was quite good at charms...just not transfiguration. The brown eyes that shone brightly up at hers and the red-headed teenager dropping beside her on the chair with a grin, was her only answer. Yes, perhaps being Headmistress would not be so bad after all. At least, it would have its good moments.

-x-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alexis' definition of fine came from Paganaidd who wrote "Dudley's Memories."


	15. Use Your Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alexis' background is shown a bit here. And there is much of Severus and Harry. Enjoy.

“Dice it, Harry, _not_ slice.” Severus corrected quietly, watching the younger boy's attempts closely. The child would be a fine brewer if he just read the instructions fully. He was inventive but his knowledge could be expanded and he need practical experience. Perhaps that was why Severus was spending this fine Saturday morning brewing with the child. Well if they ever got to the brewing part, anyway.

Harry grumbled, glaring at the fennel in front of him. He was dicing it, at least he thought he was...although the fennel was still in pretty big pieces. He had just wanted to doing something with Severus! But this was frustrating. He glared at the herb, trying once more to get it right. When that didn't work, he slammed the knife down on the table, muttering a curse that Uncle had taught him.

He took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment. “Harry. Use your words, tell me what the problem is.” Severus requested briskly, moving to stand beside the child.

“Don't understand.” Harry muttered, glaring at the table. Dicing, slicing; it was all the same! Did it really matter how it was cut?

“What don't you understand, Harry?”

“What I'm doing wrong. It's all the same!” He flinched, knowing he shouldn't have spoken like that. Uncle would have cuffed him for it, at the _least_.

“Ah, I think I know the problem then. It is not the same. The size and cut of the ingredient can drastically change a potion. Too big and it might not break down properly in one potion, but too small will make it absorbed too fast. If...do you know how to cook?” Severus paused, thinking back on something the child had muttered in his sleep one night. Wary eyes and a slight nod were his only answers. It might be better to show the child on something besides fennel, to use an example that he would understand better. He taught all of his first years the proper preparation methods but he had a feeling that Harry had not been paying attention, or able to pay attention, that day. With that last thought he summoned two apples, setting one in front of the child. “Show me how you would dice an apple please.”

Harry frowned, picking up the knife slowly. What was the point of this? Although he often thought that potions was similar to cooking, what did apples have to do with anything? But he knew better than to question, as the Dursleys had taught him years ago. Aunt Petunia had taught him how to dice apples to make the perfect pie and so he did that now, slicing the apple into three pieces and then cubing the pieces up, so that they were much smaller. “Done, sir.”

He sighed. Sir again, then. “Good. Those are more than acceptable. Well done. Now, show me how to _slice_ this apple.” He drawled, sliding the other apple to the boy and inspecting the cubes. They were done well...if only the child applied the same techniques to his potions!

Green eyes blinked, staring openly up at the older man. _Well done?_ He hadn't heard that often before, only here at school, and never from someone who was his guardian. Never. The men were always praising him, but he knew it was pretend. This, however, he could believe. Perhaps his professor actually meant to tell him that, perhaps he actually thought it was good. The most he would have gotten out of his aunt was a delicate sniff and a stiff nod. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, quickly slicing the apple into thin pieces, like he was making a cobbler.

Severus raised an eyebrow, glancing between the two piles of perfect cuts. “The difference between slicing and dicing is quite visible here. Your dicing should look like the cubes, although often smaller. Your fennel looks more like the apple slices. Does the example help you understand better?” He asked finally, turning to look at the child.

“Yes sir.” Harry frowned at the two piles, glancing between them and his pile of fennel. _Sliced_ as it were. Oops. He picked up the knife again and started working on another piece of fennel, much slower this time but at least the fennel looked more like the cubes and less like chunks.

“Good Harry! Well done.” Severus praised, examining the diced fennel. It was not perfect cubes, which was better actually. It was more of a finer dice and it was quite well done. “Alright, now slowly stir an ounce of fennel into the cauldron. Carefully, Harry!” He bit back a sigh, watching the hot solution sloop about for a moment before the child slowed down his stirring and added the fennel. The child merely nodded, focusing on the next step. He was happy that his ward wanted to brew, to be able to share this with the child. Now if they could just finish this healing potion.

-x-

“Be gentle to the furnishings boys!” Alexis called, ignoring the chuckles. She raised an eyebrow, listening for a moment as the bouncing seemed to stop. It shouldn't matter if she was a bit rough of the furniture, there was no need for the children to develop the same bad habits. Granted, she'd rather have them jumping on the beds than afraid of even speaking. She turned gray eyes back to the parchment in her hands, shaking her head when giggles exploded from the next room.

“Is that the form?” Severus asked, leaning forward in his chair slightly. It could be some other bit of paperwork, of course, but he knew most other work would take the teasing light from her eyes.

“Yes. Did you discuss it with Karrie already?” She asked, shrugging slightly. Her eyes went once more to the room where the three children were playing or chatting.

“Of course. She was quite...confused, to be honest. I believe she didn't understand why we would want her. But she agreed to a temporary guardianship, at least.” Remus replied quietly, shaking his head sadly. The child had been more than confused; she had been downright upset. She had seemed to think it was a joke or a trick, but after a few hours of talking with her, and baking cookies, he had managed to convince her that they were serious. Of course, Harry was thrilled. He already saw Karrie as his best friend, so foster-sister wasn't much of a stretch. Hopefully, both guardianships would become something more permanent. As there was no contest for Karrie's and the child's parents would not even be considered, that was almost a certainty, if both parties still wanted it. Harry's, however, was not. There was another application in to adopt Harry, although without the necessary steps and signatures, as well as his relatives had yet to sign him over. WCW had seen it best, Lucius had made certain, that Harry would not be returned to his home. It was just a matter of having the damn muggles sign the form to terminate their custody without getting muggle child services involved. But they would if necessary. He'd be damned if his child was going back to that house.

She merely nodded, scanning the form once more. She finally scribbled her signature across one line, offering the form that Lucius had whipped up early this morning to Severus. He took it, read it quickly and signed his own name. He handed it back and she glanced at it once more, passing it to Remus. The other man didn't even read it, he just signed his name on the secondary guardian line and passed it back. Alexis scanned it, tapping the parchment with her wand. It glowed blue for a moment and then Fawkes flew down to her. The poor phoenix was so used to her sending these forms now that he just came automatically. She placed the rolled parchment in the waiting claw and the bird vanished in a flash of light. She loved that bird and she had come to care for Hogwart's guardian. Dumbledore had not been as good to the Phoenix as he should have been, but then the man had neglected his students and staff, even to the point of causing harm to those in his care by his actions and inactions. And Fawkes did not seem to mind being used much like an owl, but then she only used him to send the guardianship forms and the forms to dissolve a guardianship. It also helped that Lucius always fed the damn phoenix bacon and the children under his care always gave the bird sweets. The phoenix was going to become fat. She frowned, gray eyes narrowing, when the bird flashed back in and dropped a scroll in her lap before flying to his perch. Lucius rarely sent return letters, unless something was wrong. She opened the letter and froze, eyes darting across the paper.

“Alexis?” Remus questioned, leaning forward in concern. The younger woman had started trembling, although it was a subtle tremble in her hands, a tap of her foot. Similar to the way Severus became when upset...or terrified. The black haired woman did not respond, but gray eyes turned to stone and then he felt the magic rippled around him. The tea cups shattered, he heard glass breaking from somewhere to the left of him, and the familiar sound of cracking wood. Severus had destroyed their living room enough times that the noises were familiar enough but also...odd. Muffled. He frowned as his mate moved at once, crouching in front of the younger woman and gently tugging the letter out of her hands.

“Alexis, look at me. _Alexis._ You are fine. You are at Hogwarts. Take a deep breath and for god's sake, control your magic woman. Before you bring the castle down around us.”Severus growled, not glancing at the parchment. His eyes were locked with vacant gray but he knew she could still hear him. She took a breath, although a shaky breath, and he felt her magic draw back in. Empathic magic helped with potions, he could feel the magic, even if he could not always see it. Not as she did anyway. He had to look for the magic to see it, but strong magic, and strong wizards, he could feel immediately. Alexis had power but she also had talent. Her ability to bend and shape the energy around her was quite different than the brute force and strength that Dumbledore had had. That man had been powerful; she was not that powerful but strong enough. Strong as him, even. And her control was normally as good as his, so it was unusual that her magic would react this strongly to something. His mind could easily think the worse, that perhaps they couldn't get guardianship of Karrie or that their guardianship of Harry had been revoked. Even that Alexis' guardianship of Teddy had been revoked, which he doubted seriously. She had nineteen wards, which as Headmistress she was legally able to do. They would not revoke one, not when she was taking wonderful care of all of Hogwarts' children. “What happened?” He questioned finally, when she seemed to calm down enough.

Alexis shook her head, eyes blank. “Nothing. I'll be in my office. Watch the children, please.” She remarked briskly, standing on shaking legs and striding to the door to her office. She hesitated, her hand on the knob, before shaking her head again and vanished through the door.

“That was...odd.” Remus remarked dryly, brown eyes still on the closed door. He knew the three children were still in Teddy's room and Bain was studying, apparently, in his room, so that wasn't a problem. It was just odd, her behaviour was out of character. If she had a visitor in her office, then he could understand, but the flash of light that was the indicator for that had not gone off. There had been no reason for her to leave.

Severus scowled, glaring at the closed door for a moment before turning his attention to the letter still in his hand. She seemed to have not noticed he had it. He hesitated for a moment but opened it anyway. She was his sister, after all, and if something was upsetting her, he wanted to know. Sooner rather than later. He read it with a raised eyebrow and then read it again. With a growl he shoved the letter to Remus before stalking toward her office. He tried to open the door and hissed; apparently she had not only activated the wards but placed a stinging spell on the handle. He knew quite well that an unlocking spell would not work. Not this time. He murmured a curse under his breath, pacing the room rapidly for a moment. Remus had already set the room back to rights and now the slightly older man was scowling at the same letter he had just finished. Damn Alexis. Why did she always have to run?

_Alexis, this was on my desk this morning...I thought you should know first.- Lucius._ _**Child-trader found dead! Jakob Retten, a German wizard, was accused of buying magical children and selling them to the highest bidder. Child slavery is forbidden in most societies......Retten was rumoured to have bought a highly valuable young witch nearly seventeen years ago. He had been rumoured to speak of this witch often and although no names have been given, this reporter can only venture a guess that perhaps the witch he mentions, also German, might be in a much better place now. Perhaps even working with our children.....** _

Remus blinked, frowning at the article clipping. It wasn't from the Prophet, but from a well known international paper, one that was normally trusted. But for Alexis to react that way meant...  
“Alexis was _SOLD_ as a child?!” He growled, raising a silencing spell around the room. This was not a conversation, nor topic, for little ears.

“She- yes. I need to call Tim. Or Filius.” Severus sighed, dropping into his chair.

“Perhaps both.” Remus suggested softly, reaching for and grasping Severus' hand.

He merely nodded, grabbing his pendant with his free hand, summoning both of the older men. Even if Alexis would not want Filius, he did. Because he couldn't protect the younger woman from this and he couldn't comfort her. But he was hurting with her. Damn empathy. And they weren't even legally related yet! Or blood either, but they would be. Soon. Besides that, they might need Filius to unlock the office so that someone could enter.

“Severus?” Tim called, stepping out of the floo. A moment later and Filius followed with a deep frown.

“What's wrong son? And where's your sister?” The diminutive man questioned, eyes scanning the room quickly.

In answer the young man merely copied a piece of parchment and handed a piece to both of them. Tim frowned at him, before dropping his eyes to scan it. “Fuck!” He growled, dropping the article like it was hot. “Where is she?” He questioned quickly, raising an eyebrow when the younger man merely scowled and pointed at the office.

“I take it she warded herself in then. Which means she is either destroying the office or drinking herself to death.” Filius remarked coolly, brows knitted. Lucius should have warned them first, before he told Alexis. Did the man not realize how she would react? Well no, actually, he probably hadn't. After all, he probably he just wanted to get her the notice as fast as possible, without considering what she might do first. Or he might have thought that she was at the place where she would speak of something that was bothering her. But he knew better. This child had been hurt badly; her first reaction was to shut down. Much like that of his soon-to-be grandchildren. The note written in the margins of the article, which was not from Lucius and had been circled, was a bit concerning. _Tell the Headmistress to watch out, or her darkest secrets will come back to haunt her._

-x-

Alexis took a deep breath, eyes staring blankly at the wall. She had know, of course, that it would come out eventually. That was not the problem. It wasn't even that someone was threatening her, as she had noticed the small note. Someone wanted Lucius to know that they didn't approve of her. That was fine, she could handle that. But Retten was _dead_. He had rescued her twice in her life time. Perhaps even a third time, as Albus never could give a explanation as to why he showed up in that alley that night. He had sent her a letter, a few years before, but she had never opened it. No, it was still sealed even, in a locked box in her desk. She hesitated for a moment but opened a hidden compartment and pulled out the rosewood box. She tapped her wand to it thrice, closing her eyes when the lock clicked and the lid popped open. There were many things in this box that she had not looked at in years. Her darkest secrets indeed. With trembling hands she lifted an envelope out of the bottom, picking up a pendant with her other hand. She curled her fingers around the pendant, eyes focused on the letter. _Meine liebe Kind, Alexis._ Biting her lip, she sat the pendant down and opened the letter. She took a shaky breath, slowly focusing on the words on the parchment. _Damn._

_Child,_

_If you are reading this, I have probably died. Know that I destroyed all blood spells I had of you after I sent this letter. The pendant will not help me find you anymore, although keep it. It had my magical signature in it and that will allow you access to the vault I am leaving you. You were my favourite child, know that. Because you were special. But if I had known that bastard would abuse you, I never would have left you with him. Rescuing you at thirteen, after you had ran away, was not my original plan. I had wanted you to grow up loved and cared for. As he voided the contract by harming you, however, every euro he ever took from you was placed in a vault. Every Euro I got from him was as well. I wish I had killed him when I had the chance. Your lovely foster father is the one who paid those goons to attack you. They would have killed you if the British wizard had not shown up. When I heard you were employed by him, I was quite pleased. I know you wondered who paid for your apprenticeship, I did. The first one, anyway. Rainwater refused my money when I found out you were with him. Don't vex the man; his hexes take a bit to wear off. I promised myself that I would not get attached to a child but I did. You were the first and only child I ever wanted to keep. And not because of your talents. No, the little girl who formed a barrier of energy around herself when she thought she would be beat, did not worm her way into my heart with her magic. But the road was not a place for a child. All of the money I had I split into vaults for each child I found. Most were not cases like yours, bought from abuse. Most were bought because their families were starving and needed the extra cash. Each and every single child, save one, went to good homes, muggle and magical. When I learned you were a mind healer, I was thrilled. You would do well at it, healing had always been your passion. Especially hurt children. Good luck, my child. And be good. I hope you find a loving family one day, one who can care for you well._

_Jakob._

She took a shuddering breath, running her hand across her eyes. Tim had taken her as an apprentice when she was sixteen, two years after she started training with the hedge-witch; a year after she started apprenticing to another healer. That healer had found Tim and ended the apprenticeship, because he could only train her so much. She had been a prodigy and yet she had come from a bad background. Sold to a child-trader at the age of eight...well, given really. Retten had threatened to report them and have her taken away either way; his way they would get a bit of money for her. He found a pure-blood couple who could not have children and sold her to them for a high price. A very high price. She didn't even want to think about how much money he had left her, then. Even after a year of her apprenticeship and paying the hedge-witch for her living expenses. She didn't blame him for her foster father. The man was..not a good person and after his wife died, he grew much worse. She sighed when the door clicked and she heard it open. Filius must have undid her wards then. She had left loopholes for a reason, after all. The men were not above breaking down the door if they thought she was in danger. Especially Tim, the overprotective mentor that he was. Damn man.

“Alexis?” Filius questioned softly, moving slowly to the younger woman. Tim was a step behind him, shutting and silencing the door once more. He could see the trace of tears but there was little damage done to the office and no alcohol in sight. Perhaps she had taken his warning seriously then.

“I'm alright.” She murmured, setting the German letter back inside the box. But she kept the pendant out, curling her hand around it once more.

“You are not. As much as it pains me, Retten did well by you. He had your well-being in mind and you, in turn, saw him as the only stable adult in your childhood. He cared for you in his own messed up way. So you are not alright.” Tim retorted, frowning at the younger woman. Filius was proving that size didn't matter by squeezing Alexis' shoulder and offering comfort in the way he knew how. It did help, however, that the young woman was sitting and slumped down in her armchair.

“Jakob never harmed me. He made sure I was cared for and he taught me spells that saved my life.” Alexis sighed, head in her hands. The man had sold her, yes. Twice, technically. Her feelings for him were confusing to say the least. He saved her from a bad situation, her birth parents would had killed her. Her foster father wasn't much better. He was a social worker in his own way, he had once told her. Because he did care for the children, he just turned a profit by charging a large 'adoption' fee. “Warum, Tim? Warum?” She murmured finally, looking up at the two men.

“Merlin only knows why, Alexis. He thought he was saving you, so he did. You would not have survived the system there, we both know it. He kept you from that. So for that, I am grateful.” Tim responded softly, answering in English so that Filius would understand him as well.

“I am also grateful, for now I have a daughter. I am not please about what you had to go through before you came to us, but he did his best. Grieve for him, child. Because you can grieve now. We will protect you from any backlash from this article, as well as from everything else that we possibly can.” Filius added, patting her arm gently. The next moment he was scooped into a tight hug before the young woman released him.

“Papa.” She whispered, fighting back tears once more. It was the first time she had ever called him that, but it was also the first time it really sunk in. Jakob would be proud; she had a family now, a real one.

-x-

“What on earth?” Severus questioned, raising an eyebrow at the mess in their little kitchenette. Three children were grouped around the counter, silver cooking sheets sat in front of each. A large bowl of dough was between them and Remus was watching from the table with Bain. There was flour and dough _everywhere._

“The children wanted to make cookies.” Remus shrugged, sharp eyes watching small hands use cookie cutters.

“We wanted to cheer the headmistress up.” Teddy remarked quietly, brown eyes focused intently on the dragon he was cutting out.

Karrie grinned, placing her unicorns and elephants onto the tray and then sliding it carefully into the oven. “Sweets always make the older girls feel better when they're sad.” She added, watching as Harry slid his own pan into the oven. Teddy finally added his and she set the timer, before splashing a bit of flour on Harry.

Bain bit back a snort, knowing quite well what the younger girl was referring to and also knowing that that was not Alexis' problem. “How is she?” He asked softly, gazing over at the man when he sat down at the table with them.

“Grieving but she was feeling much better and missing the noise of her quarters when I left.” He replied, equally quiet, running a hand through his hair.

“Why do sweets make girls feel better?” Harry questioned, frowning slightly. It had always been a mystery to him. He knew his aunt had always wanted chocolate at a certain time of each month and one of his teachers had always been snappy if she didn't have salt. He just wasn't quite sure why. He never asked before, because he wasn't suppose to ask questions and the time Dudley had asked his aunt, she had turned red and told him that he would learn about it when he was much older.

Teddy gaped briefly, staring at Harry. Granted, his sexual education was a bit more advanced than it should be, for his age, and he knew that they would cover puberty more in depth this year in their monthly health classes, the older years had warned them about it, but they already knew a bit about it. Except the first years, but even they learned fast. Severus made sure that his students were well educated in matters of their own bodies, he thought all of the houses did that. That all of them had a monthly, or occasionally weekly, health class for each year. “Don't Gryffindors have health class, Harry?” He asked, glancing at Karrie who had dissolved into giggles.

“No, does Slytherin?” Harry frowned, eyebrows knitting together. Teddy merely nodded.

“Ravenclaw does too. Although, I think that's because Professor Flitwick knows we'll just find the information on our own and he wants us to know the truth, not the devastating lies of human sexuality. “ Karrie remarked, checking the cookies before shutting the oven once more.

Bain did snort this time; Filius had used the same speech on his year when they were younger. Devastating lies of sexuality indeed! “Hormones, Harry. That's what makes women crave sweets. It makes them feel much more...human.” He chuckled finally, glancing at the two men. They seemed to be having a whispered conversation and it didn't look very good.

He felt like they were laughing at him. It didn't help that Teddy and Karrie were both snickering. He didn't like it. He hated being laugh at, treated like he was dumb. It wasn't his fault Gryffindors didn't have a health class. He knew the older ones usually learned about that stuff from books or from older siblings. So he didn't know what they were talking about, although he thought he heard about hormones from somewhere before, he just wasn't sure where, or what he heard, exactly. They still didn't have to laugh at him. It made him angry. He hated being laughed at. He bit his lip and stomped his foot, glaring at his two friends.

Teddy fell silent instantly, eyebrows knitting. “Harry?”

Harry glared at him, stomping his foot down again. He wasn't even quite sure why he was so angry. He just...was.

“Use your words, Harry.” Remus requested, surveying the three children.

He was so tired of that phrase! He was not a child! He was a man, a man of all of twelve, but a man still! “I don't want to use my fucking words!” He snapped, glaring at the older man.

Severus bit back a sigh, raising an eyebrow at the child. “Go to your room, please.” He instructed quietly. The child had the nerve to sneer at him. At him!

“No.” He was pushing here and he knew it. But he didn't care. They'd get rid of him anyway. Eventually. And they had Karrie now, so they couldn't possibly need two children. He wasn't jealous or angry about Karrie becoming their ward. She was one of his best friends and like a sister; she deserved a family that loved her. He did not. He was a freak and eventually they'd tire of him. Better him than Karrie, anyway.

“Harry.” He warned, his tone deadly quiet. Well, the child was no longer timid. But he did nothing in halves, oh no. But perhaps there was a reason for his behaviour.

Harry glared at him but his professor merely _looked_ at him and he gulped, turning and stomping to his room.

“Alright. Well, why don't we decorate these cookies. They should be done now.” Remus suggested, moving to the oven and removing the hot pans. “Careful, Karrie!” He warned gently, stopping the small hand from grabbing the metal pan. He nodded to his partner and the younger man sighed, turning to speak to Bain for a moment before heading toward Harry's room.

-x-

Severus had gone to his office first, to find a book he used with his younger students. But he had stalled long enough and he needed to go speak with his ward. Remus was too much of a pushover to do it, although he wasn't much better himself. He knocked on the child's bedroom, entering at the soft _come in_. He bit back a sigh, surveying the child who sat quite rigidly on his bed. He clearly expected to be beaten, he could see that in his body language, in how he didn't even raise his head, at how his muscles were tense. He pulled up a chair, watching the child for a moment. “Relax, Harry. I just want to talk with you. Will you tell me why you are angry?”

He blinked, scowling down at his blankets for a moment. “I hate being laughed at.” He muttered, not bothering to look up. It was half the truth, anyway.

“Your friends were not laughing at _you_ , Harry. They are still at the age where some mentions of puberty is still funny. I believe it was Bain's attempt at an explanation that had them laughing.” Severus explained quietly, quirking an eyebrow at the child. Perhaps that was what set off this episode, but the child had been on edge all day.

He still didn't understand what they had been laughing about but he did understand what his professor meant. Teddy had looked at him with concern when he first became angry; the other boy would never hurt him, even by laughing at him. He knew that. He finally gave a sullen nod, staring at his bed. He knew he was in trouble, so why didn't the man punish him already?

“What else has made you angry, Harry? Is it because we have added Karrie as our ward as well?” Severus questioned softly, knowing quite well that he wouldn't get a response from the child unless he asked. The boy would have learned from an early age to not volunteer any unasked for information, if only to save himself some hurt.

“I- no. Karrie needs someone to take care of her.” Harry shrugged, worrying his lip.

“As do you.”

He grimaced, shaking his head. His professor's tone was sincere, gentle, but he still could not accept that. They would tire of him soon or decide that he was better put to work than left idling about. After all, Aunt had always said that idle hands did the devil's work. Did they even believe in the devil?

“Harry. Look at me, please.” He requested softly, catching the child's wrist when he dug his nails into his leg. Green eyes finally looked up at him, but didn't quite meet his own. That was alright, at least the child was looking at him, instead of at that damn blanket. “Our home, and hearts, are quite big enough for both you and Karrie. We did not take Karrie to replace you, nor could we. Once the six month trial is over, we were planning, hoping, to adopt you. Both of you. If you are alright with it, at that point in time. That is a while away, however. We do not need your decision now. But we have already made ours. You have stolen both of our hearts, Harry. There is no need to feel angry or upset over Karrie, although I do understand it. I once felt that same way.” He kept a gentle grasp on the child's hand, meeting shocked green eyes when they finally met his. Every word was true. They loved the child as their own and he had once felt jealousy over another, believing that she might steal his surrogate father. Filius had been extremely displeased over his tantrum, which had been quite spectacular, and had a very similar discussion with him afterwards.

“But I'm just a freak! You'll tire of me! You shouldn't want me. I'm a freak!” He objected, startled.

Severus sighed, quite glad for the silencing spell he had cast over the room. Remus would have been very...upset to hear their child call himself a freak. “We will not 'tire' of you Harry. You are not a toy to be thrown away when you are having a bad day or neglected when you are hurt. You are a child, to be loved and cherished for all that you are and all that you do. Whether that be the light in your eyes when you finally understand a potions concept or the stubborn set of your chin when you don't want to do something. The spark of fear in your eyes when you are in trouble, fear that you will be beat even though we promised that we never would; the furrowing of your brow when you are deep in thought; the way you know when your friends are hurt or scared before they say anything. We love you for all that you are, Remus and I do. You are our child now. You are not a freak, but a gifted young boy. We do want you, so very much Harry. I don't think our lives would be the same without you in them.” He replied quietly, squeezing the child's hand gently. He could see the unshed tears glistening in emerald eyes, tears of a child who never knew what love was before. Had never felt loved or cared for. “It is alright, Harry. You are safe now. You can express your emotions here.” He added softly, watching as a tear dripped down the child's face. He opened his arms to the child and received a lapful of preteen. Not a weeping preteen, but one who needed to make sure it was really real, so to speak. To remind himself that this was actually happening, that someone cared. The messy head of hair buried into his shoulder and he felt tears dripping onto his robes. He wrapped gentle arms around his child, rocking slightly with the boy until he was calm once more. He knew that this was not the last time they would have this conversation, but it was good enough for now. Nothing else he could say would convince the child; his actions needed to speak louder than words.

Harry pulled back from the hug but remained on his professor's lap, glancing up at him with a tear streaked face. He fought back a flinch when a wet flannel gently ran across his face, relaxing slightly in his guardian's arms.

“Now, as for your behaviour. It was unacceptable, although understandable. So, you will write me two sets of lines. The first “ _I will use my words and control my temper.”_ I believe twenty-five times shall be enough, this time. However, the next time you swear at us, your mouth will be washed out with soap. The second set of lines is a bit simpler. _“I am not a freak”_. Fifty times, if you please.” He instructed, tipping the child's face up so that he could finish washing the tears off.

Harry grumbled and started to shift off the man's lap, but a strong hand stopped him. He glanced up at him, confused, but said nothing. His punishment was more than fair, although he wasn't sure about the second set of lines. His uncle would have beaten him for swearing at him, although not for swearing in general.

“You may write these lines later. I also have a book for you to start reading and I will answer any questions you have about it, or any that you can think of in general. It is a book about puberty, and yes, Harry, we will be having the sex talk. But not just yet. I do not talk to my Slytherins about intercourse until fourth year, although they know the basics of it. You will too, before the summer is out.” Severus remarked in a very light, teasing tone. The child flushed but nodded anyway, leaning back against him. He tightened his arms around the child once more, content to just hold the soon to be thirteen year old for as long as the boy would let him. Because soon, the child would declare himself too old for cuddling, and, although he would never admit it, he liked cuddling his children. So he would, for as long as possible.


	16. Tempers Flare

“I thought I'd find you here.”

She glanced up from her study of the distant sun rising over the lake, gray eyes finding the damn man almost instantly. “Tim. Shouldn't you be asleep?” The sun had not quite risen yet, the pink just reaching over the horizon now. She had been out here for...a while now, on this chilly Sunday morning. The children were all in their beds, the wards were intact and her chest felt heavy. So much to do in so little time, and now this. The threats, the grief, the pain. She only wanted to take care of these children, to guide and teach them, to forget her past. But she knew she couldn't just forget, couldn't just let go.

“Shouldn't you?” He retorted quietly, coming to stand beside her. The young woman had circles under her eyes, even with the glamour, and he knew she had not slept yet. The children would be up in a few hours and they would have to work once more, because children needed constant care and love. There was no days off here, even if there was a bit of free time. He wouldn't take a day off anyway; it was his love to help children, the reason he was alive. Currently, the one who needed him stood beside him with stony gray eyes and folded arms, shivering in the cold.

“I...couldn't. I'm fine, Tim. Just...brauche Zeit.” She sighed, eyes staring off over the horizon once more. She could have seen all of this from the walkway around her tower, more actually, but she had needed the walk, just as she needed time. Time to think, time to breathe, time to just...feel.

“ Die Zeit heilt alle Wunden.” He quoted softly, resting a hand on her shoulder. It was an old proverb, one that was on the wall of his old mentor, when he had been just an apprentice. That had been years ago, but the saying still held truth.

“Nein. No. Time doesn't heal all. We just like to think it does.” Alexis scowled, turning to look at him. She glanced toward the castle with a sigh, the children would be waking up soon and there were two in her quarters who needed her.

He just shook his head, following her gaze. “Shall we?” He inquired softly, keeping a steadying hand on her shoulder.

She gave a brisk nod, starting back up the path toward the castle. If nothing else was clear to her, on this Sunday morning, she knew that she was not alone and she didn't have to handle this alone. The threats, the grief, or the headache of getting fifty children to Diagon Alley for school supplies...thankfully, she still had a few weeks before that trip was needed. But still, she couldn't run this school alone and she wasn't quite sure how Dumbledore had. Perhaps that was part of the reason why Hogwarts was in such bad shape. But not for much longer, because these children came first and so did their education. They would make this school better, or she would die trying.

-x-

Alexis bit back a sigh, surveying the two boys who sat in front of her desk. Elijah and Derek...it was not the first time either boy had been in her office for fighting, but it was the first time for fighting each other. Well...she really didn't want to think about what had almost happened at breakfast, in front of the younger children. Merlin! “Explain, now.” She ordered softly, dangerously. Neither boy looked at her. Derek was glaring at her desk and Elijah was staring at his sneakers, bouncing his leg up and down. She had already checked each teenager for injuries; they had been lucky, this time. Neither of the hexes hit and Henry had been close enough to throw up a shield to protect the younger children. She had sent the boys to her office and taken the walk up here to calm down. Someone could have been seriously hurt. Both boys were prone to hitting first, not hexing. It was...odd.

“It was his fault, Professor.” Derek mumbled finally, not looking up at her. He hoped she would actually believe him, because it had been Elijah's fault. The other boy had provoked him! Well...alright, he had hexed first, but still. His father had taught him to strike first and he never would have spoken back to his father, not as Elijah had to him. He would have been beaten. But did that make him right? Because Henry said that his father had not been right and his healer, Lucas, had agreed. But maybe they were wrong and his father had the right of it? He wasn't sure anymore and the Professor looked pissed at them.

“Elijah? Tell me what happened please.” She requested finally, frowning at the bigger blond for a moment before turning her eyes back to Elijah. She knew that both boys had a temper, and Elijah's was often volatile, but that did not excuse their actions.

The brown-haired child bit his lip, twisting his hands about for a moment. She wouldn't believe him, no one ever did. He peaked up for a brief moment and caught her eyes for a second. She was clearly displeased with them but when her eyes met his they had soften, just a bit. He trusted the Headmistress, she was always kind to him, even when he lashed out at someone. He hadn't lashed out this time, nor did he start it. “Derek was saying...things, Professor. Robert told him to stop but he just sneered at him and then I...snapped at him to stop being such a dick. So he tried to hex me and I hexed back.” Elijah grimaced, shaking his head. It had been instinct to react by hexing back. The same instinct that made him go on the defensive when he was beaten. But he wouldn't be beaten here, he knew that. He also knew that he was very lucky that his hex hadn't hit. He had cast the first spell to pop into his mind, a bone-vanishing hex. The headmistress would have been very...unhappy with him. Hell he would have been unhappy with himself. He was no bully and he didn't like to hurt others, he just reacted sometimes. Much like the idiot boy beside him. He, however, knew that what his father had done to him had been wrong, abuse. The other teenager just seemed to spout what he had heard his whole life. Idiot.

She nodded slowly, turning her eyes back to Derek. From what she had seen, that fit quite well. Although it had happened fast, Derek had been the one to draw first; she had noticed that from her seat, but she had been hoping the boys would be honest with her. Well, at least one of them was. “Derek? What sort of _things_ were you saying?” She questioned, raising an eyebrow when the child merely shrugged at her. “Mr. Ralon, when I ask you a question I expect a verbal answer.” She added silkily. Elijah was fidgeting in his seat, knowing that tone she was using. Alexis was quickly reaching the end of her patience with the blond.

“Yes ma'am.” Derek grumbled, kicking his feet for a moment. If he told her what he said, he knew she wouldn't be happy. Henry kept getting on him for saying such things, but he didn't understand why! His father had said them, after all, so they must be true. They must! But she was just going to get angry if he didn't tell her. Either way, she'd be mad at him and he didn't want her to be mad at him. She was scary when she was angry. “You'll be angry.” He answered finally, glancing up at her with a gulp.

She bit back a sigh, resting her hands on the top of the desk. Standing imposingly only worked for so long, after all. Besides that, she didn't need the boys to be afraid of her. With that in mind she moved to a clear space and sat on the edge of her desk, gray orbs focused on the two boys in front of her. “Perhaps I will be displeased and disappointed, Derek. But I will never harm you, no matter how upset your words make me. I will never harm either of you.” She reassured quietly, softer this time. She caught Elijah's eyes for a moment and the child nodded, showing that he understood, before turning back to Derek.

He hesitated, biting the inside of his cheek for a moment before giving a slight nod. He believed her, even if he never would have believed his father, if the man had said such things. He wouldn't have, of course, but that didn't matter so much anymore. “I said...that the fairies and the cocksuckers were..bad.” He mumbled, flushing slightly. Perhaps his phrasing was a bit, quite a bit, more offensive, but he knew better than to repeat _those_ words in front of her, lest his mouth be washed out.

Elijah grunted, shaking his head. That was not what the other boy had said, not exactly. But then, he knew why the other boy wouldn't want to say them. Hell, he didn't want to say them. Those words made his face burn and he didn't even understand a few of them!

“I take it, it was a bit worse than that, yes? I do get the gist, however.” She shook her head, not quite sure what to do with the child yet. She couldn't let this continue any longer but she wasn't sure that the child wasn't just repeating words he had heard before; had been beaten into him, most likely. “Elijah, do you remember where the sitting room is?” She asked suddenly, turning her gaze back to the skinnier child. The boy blinked but gave a hesitant nod, glancing toward the closed door to her quarters. The child had been in there enough this week, he'd been in her office nearly every day for one reason or another, and often she ended up taking him to her quarters for tea. “Go wait for me, please. We _will_ be having a discussion as soon as I have a private word with Derek.” She ordered quietly.

Elijah grimaced, knowing very well that this discussion would involve him getting yet another lecture on his temper...hopefully she didn't know which spell he had cast, but he doubted that. She knew _everything._ He stood slowly, warily, but at her gentle nod and the light grip on his shoulder, he vanished through the doorway and onto the couch he so often sat on. And now the part he hated, the waiting.

“Tell me Derek, where did you learn these words?” She asked finally, after several moments of tense silence.

He grimaced, paling slightly. “My father.”

“Do you believe them to be true?”

“My father said them, so they must be. Right?” He bit his lip, shrugging slightly. He didn't really know. Did he believe those words were mean? Yes, but he had heard them forever. Did he believe that...gays were bad? He wasn't sure. He only knew two. Professor Snape and his partner, Professor Lupin. Professor Snape was a difficult man but he had never been unkind to him. And Professor Lupin treated all the students well. He even gave him chocolate when he found him upset in the corridor one day. He didn't know what he believed, but he knew what his father had taught him and his father's word was law. Right?

“No Derek. It doesn't work that way child. I asked if you believed them, not your father.” She replied gently, tapping her fingers twice against the desk. A tray with a mug of hot chocolate popped into the room. Minzi always knew what she needed. She offered the mug to the child, who took it slowly.

He fiddled with the mug for a moment, taking a careful sip of it. The chocolate warmed his stomach and calmed his nerves. He wasn't quite sure why it helped him to think clearly, but it did. “I..I don't know, Professor.” He responded quietly, flushing slightly. He didn't know what he believed anymore, not at all. Because who could he believe? His father? Or his counselors? Or perhaps he should just believe himself, what he thought to be true. That didn't mean he was right and it didn't mean he couldn't change and learn new things, but wasn't it better to believe his own thoughts than to follow blindly? Isn't that what Lucas had tried to say?

She could see the understanding dawning in the child's eyes, the realization that not everything he was told would be the truth. That was a good step, at least. “You have to form your own opinions, Derek. You cannot allow someone else to form those opinions for you. I know it is difficult to break away from your upbringing, but you must try. You are not your father and your father is not here. You do not have to treat others badly because of his opinions, nor for his approval. I want you to think about it, alright? This is my assignment for you. Think about what _you_ believe and what you know to be true. Write an essay on it, you have until next Sunday.” She stated briskly, waiting until he had finished the chocolate drink.

“Yes Professor.” He murmured, standing slowly. That didn't really sound like a punishment but he was perfectly fine with that.

“A moment, Derek.” She called, forcing down a sigh when the child turned back toward her. “This bullying must stop now, understand? For the fight, you are restricted to your bunk room for the rest of the day, not including meals. I also want a list of the words you used and their meanings, as well as lines, by tomorrow afternoon.”

He grimaced but nodded. It was fair, after all. “What are the lines, Professor?”

“Let's try 'I will stop calling others names'. Fifty times, please.” She gave a nod of dismissal and the child bolted out the door. Alexis groaned, running her hand through her hair for a moment. She still had to speak with Elijah. With that thought she stood, stalking into the other room. The teenager startled briefly when she appeared but said nothing. “Did you know what the spell you cast would do?” She asked softly, her tone dangerous. His answer would define his own consequences. She hoped to the gods that he had not, but she doubted that.

Elijah shifted restlessly for a moment, staring at the floor. She did not sound happy and he knew it would only get worse. Because he _had_ known but he hadn't meant to cast that spell. It just...happened. “Yes ma'am.” He whispered finally, digging his fingers into the couch.

She took a deep breath, pacing the room for a few tense moments. He had knowingly cast a spell that could have been fatal, could have hit a bystander. The spell vanished bones and damaged tissue, a healers spell for removing crushed bones to regrow healthy ones usually. But as a curse and used by a teenager, someone without the knowledge to control the spell, without the precision, the curse could have easily vanished tissue or organs that were essential, like part of a _lung_. She had seen such mistakes happen before and it was not a pretty sight. Derek could have been killed; the child might be a bully but that wasn't a reason to cast such a spell! She forced herself to calm down, finally moving a straight-back chair and sitting down a few feet in front of the child. Damn it. She could see the fear in his eyes, fear that she would turn from him or not care for him, which she wouldn't. She just wasn't quite sure what to do yet. “Explain.” She ordered quietly, leaning forward and resting her hands on her knees.

He gulped, closing his eyes for a moment. What was he suppose to say? If he told her the truth, it would just cause more problems. He didn't like it when she looked at him like that, it never boded well. She was disappointed and angry and he hated that. He hated causing her to be angry at him. He had only wanted to make the other boy shut up! And so he had cast. He shook his head finally, trembling slightly.

“I don't think you understand the consequences if that spell would have hit, Elijah. You could have killed him _or_ one of the other children. He may be a bully, but no one deserves that type of death. You would have ended up in a juvenile facility, because the ministry would have considered you dangerous and there would have been little we could have done. As it is, you are in a lot of trouble. I need you to talk to me, Elijah. Trust me to help you.” She remarked after a moment, gray eyes intently watching this boy. She was not lying to him. The ministry would have deemed him unreachable and tried to remove him from Hogwarts and her care. She would have been able to fight it but it wouldn't have done much good. Accidents happened, yes, but was it an accident? She wasn't sure. The child was not malicious nor was he a bad kid. He was a good kid, just a hurting one.

He took a shaky breathing, nodding slowly. She needed to know the truth, even if she hated him for it. “I didn't mean to cast it. But it was the first spell to run through my mind and I wanted him to shut up. I didn't want to hurt him professor! I cast it but I pushed it toward the ground so that it wouldn't hit anyone. I just...I was angry. I'm sorry, professor.” His voice cracked and he flushed, eyes darting up to her before back to the floor.

Alexis blinked, arching a brow at the child. He had pushed it to the floor? That explained a lot then. So perhaps not an accident, but a show of force. It was also a show of actively trying not to harm someone, the first time this young man had showed that. But they needed to work on his control, especially if he just cast the first spell to enter his mind, “You must control that temper or it will land you in serious trouble.” She sighed when he merely flushed, for she did know what it was like to have a volatile temper. She also remembered quite clearly how Tim had reigned hers in. Meditation, talking it out, and a liberal use of stinging spells. Plus a memorable trip over the man's knees when she had attacked someone...again. But that had been years before, when she was much younger. Alright, she had been a few years older than the young man in front of her, and perhaps it wasn't _that_ long ago but still.

“I'm trying, Alexis. I really am.” He relaxed a bit, now that the anger was gone from her tone. She sounded concerned and disappointed, but not angry. Which wasn't that surprising, if he thought about it. She wasn't really ever that angry at them, just upset that they had been so stupid. Because she cared, which was still a bit odd feeling and he wasn't sure he would ever get used to it, but he did like being cared for and about. It made him feel like he was worth something, instead of worthless like his father had always said.

“I know you are. However, if I ever find out that you cast that spell again, at anyone, or any other fatal spell, you _will_ go over my knee. I expect you to think through your actions before doing them. I know that is difficult in fights and duels, but you should not reach for your darkest curses first.” She scolded, smirking when the child flushed red. She would do it too. Stinging spells were good for much with older teens, and some adults, but there were situations where graver consequences were needed. Two, really. Putting one's life needlessly in danger and endangering someone elses. Hopefully, this child would at least try to think before he acted. “You are grounded to these quarters until Tuesday. I will teach you mediation this evening, I believe Bain will probably join us. You also owe me an essay, on what you could have done differently.” She added quietly. The child grimaced but nodded. He knew it was fair. She pulled the child into a hug, to let him know that she really wasn't upset anymore, before directing him to one of the spare bedrooms. When the Castle made Teddy's room, it added several other rooms that could be used for guests or misbehaving students. Which was great for times like this. It was already becoming a very long day and she knew it would just get longer, but hopefully without any more fights.

-x-

The wards in his private lab was going off. It was Sunday, as per Remus' orders he was forgoing brewing to spend time with his partner and their wards. But the wards were going off. Severus growled, stalking toward the door. He knew who he would find inside, as only a few people knew where his private lab was and only one had regular access to it. But he had warned the boy about brewing alone, to at least let him know if he was going to be brewing. He opened the door carefully, raising the wards back up before turning sharp eyes on the young man standing over a cauldron, brewing. No. Throwing ingredients into the cauldron with no precision or sense of purpose. The anger rolling off of the boy was palpable. He swore under his breath, casting a stinging spell and throwing a shield around the cauldron. Half a second later, the boy yelped, spinning to face him and dropping a handful of monkshood. Damn it. “Start talking. Now.” He snarled, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves back down.

Bain growled under his breath, shifting from foot to foot for a moment. That damn spell hurt! He knew he wasn't suppose to brew angry but it helped calm him down sometimes. And he just, didn't care. Didn't care if it exploded, or if he got hurt, or anything. Not right now anyway. “Just brewing, _sir._ ” He snapped, not even bothering to try to be respectful although he knew he would regret it later. Because he liked Severus and the man treated him fairly, treated him like he was one of his children sometimes. He knew many masters were cruel to their apprentices, but Severus was good to him. Except for that blasted spell. Damn man.

“What exactly were you brewing?” He inquired silkily, arching a brow at the child. When the boy paled and refused to meet his eyes, he growled. “Bain!” He had warned the child about experimenting alone! Didn't the boy care about his own safety? Did he even know what Alexis would do to him if something happened to the teenager? She'd _kill_ him and then Filius would be giving them both that disappointed look, the one that was usually followed by a swift stinging spell.

“What?” He scowled, glaring at the wall. He did remember the man's threats after all but...he didn't care. There was too much noise in his mind and he had needed to drown it out, to focus on brewing. Perhaps trying to experiment on a potion while he wasn't in his right mind wasn't the best idea, but what was the worse that could happen, really?

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and counting to ten. “Corner. _Now._ ” He hissed, onyx eyes snapping up to bore into the younger man. The boy glared at him and huffed, folding his arms over his chest. “One.....two..” The boy stomped to the corner, glaring at him once more before turning toward the wall. “You will cease this childish behaviour this instant.” Severus growled, turning and pacing the length of the room. He counted in his head, in Russian, to force himself to calm down. There was no need to overreact but he did need to get to the bottom of this. To find out why this young man was acting so out of character. Bain was never this rude or disrespectful, the anger he could feel from the child was still very strong. Two years ago, Bain would have acted like this, did act like this actually. And he had ended up using stinging spells to get through that anger, so that he could talk to the child without being hexed. The teenager had only done that once and he knew that he never would again. He better not because he would follow through on his threats for that one. This time? Well he wasn't sure, just yet. He needed to know what caused this first.

Bain folded his arms over his chest, digging his fingers into his arms. He gritted his teeth, closing his eyes for a moment. He didn't want to think, he didn't want to talk. He just wanted to brew...or to hit something. His nostrils flared and he kicked at the wall, freezing when a strong hand landed on his shoulder.

“Enough Bain. _Enough_.” He intoned softly, biting back a sigh when the child jerked away. He had already banished the mess of a potion and he knew the younger man needed to get control of his temper and his magic now, before he exploded something or hurt himself. “Let's go to my office.” He ordered finally, stepping back so that the young man could leave the corner. He placed his hand back on the boy's shoulder, leading him through a doorway and down a short hall before holding open the door to his well warded office. Even if the child lost control of his magic here, he could do little damage. He had spells in-woven into the very walls for just this purpose; this was also where he taught students to mediate and control their emotions. He gestured with his hand, twitching his lips and nodding briskly when the desk and chairs neatly moved themselves against one wall. He glanced at the couch and it scooted back further, leaving a large portion of the carpeted floor clear. He finally turned back to the young man, raising an eyebrow.

Bain huffed but sat carefully down. He had hated this when he was younger but he knew it would calm him. It always did. He shifted uncomfortably, eyes darting after the pacing man. He was always fascinated by Severus' use of old magic and spells, something that Alexis tended toward as well. He knew many magicals had drifted away from the old ways but he had found that the old ways were still very powerful, that magic was an almost sentient being that deserved his respect and gratitude. The older man had walked a large circle around them thrice, his fingers outstretched and splayed, his lips moving silently. He waited until the man came to a stop in the middle again and sat down across from him, before speaking. “I'm fine, we don't have to do this.” Well, perhaps he was whining but he really didn't care. The frown from the older man made him squirm a bit more but what really hit him was the worried in those dark eyes. It made his stomach feel a little warm but it didn't vanish his anger. If anything, it made him angrier, because now he felt guilty for causing the damn man to worry! Ugh!

He arched a brow, sneering slightly at the child. If he was fine then he would eat a tin of lemon drops. His heart pinged a little at that thought, because...Albus. But although the man had once mentored him, when he was first teaching, and had found him help, the man had also done nothing to help the hurting children under his care unless he had no other choice. So while part of him grieved for the man, the other part knew that the children would be safer, healthier, and happier with him gone. If only it wasn't such a permanent gone. But that was neither here or there, as the boy across from him needed him _now_. He could do nothing for Dumbledore now, but he could, and would, help this child. Even if it did involve sitting on the floor of his office knowing that his bones would hurt later. Momentary discomfort was not of import. It never was when there was a child who needed him. “We do. Now, close your eyes.”

He grumbled under his breath for a moment but obeyed. He scrunched up his face briefly, hating not being able to see what was around him but he knew Severus would not harm him.

“Good boy. Deep breath in.” He silently counted to five, his own eyes closed. “Breathe out.” He waited again, listening to the sounds of the child. He could feel the boy's magic slipping back under wraps. “In.”

Bain took another breath, focusing his mind only on breathing. With each breath in, he tugged his magic back to his centre. He breathed out, letting the negative emotions go with it. He understood the need for the circle, to keep his magic and emotions from spilling too far out. It kept his magic in and outside influences out, which was probably a good thing. There had been a time or two, when he was younger, when his grasp on his magic had completely slipped. He let the calm settle into his centre, listening to the soft cues from Severus.

It took about fifteen minutes for the child's magic to be completely under his control and for his anger to dissipate a bit but they had gotten there. “Now child, I want you to find the trigger to your anger. Locate it in your centre and isolate it.” He opened his eyes to study the teenager for a moment, waiting until he was sure the boy had managed the task. It was a bit difficult for beginners but Bain wasn't a beginner. Two years of working with the child on controlling his temper and they were finally at a place where the boy trusted him enough to actually close his eyes. “Done?” A slight nod, eyes still closed, was his answer. This was always the hard part, no matter how long one had been practicing this particular method of meditation, and mindhealing even. “Good. Could you describe the trigger for me?” He requested, still keeping his tone gentle, soothing.

Bain frowned, focusing on the reason for his anger in the first place. The image rose up in his mind once more but he didn't fight it this time; he just kept himself emotionally distant from it, so that he could view it with objectivity. “A letter.” He paused, fighting to keep himself away from the emotions that had got him into this mess in the first place. Anger and hurt...but he could ignore them. He would ignore them. “From my brother.”

He blinked, furrowing his brows. He knew his apprentice had an older brother and that the other boy was non-magical, but Bain had never spoken much about him. “Could you tell me about the letter?”He requested softly, keeping his tone to the soft, breeziness still.   
He hesitated, forcing his heart to still. Bain took a deep breath and released it, letting his brother's words come back to him. “He apologized. For leaving me, for never trying to get custody of me. He had thought that father would not harm me and that I would be safer with them. But I wasn't. He left me!” He burst forth, fighting to keep his anger and pain inside.

“Centre yourself, Bain.” Severus instructed softly, feeling the young man's magic trying to pull free once more. He waited a moment before pushing onwards again. “Why did this letter send you into such a rage?” He questioned. It was important for the younger man to reach these conclusions and thoughts himself, to find the answers for himself; it also helped to release the anger, just by speaking about what made him angry. Of course he knew that the red-head would argue with him, but no one liked the exercise when it was their emotions and thoughts they had to wade through.

He grimaced, shaking his head. He really didn't want to go there, he didn't want to talk about it. He hated talking, it made everything feel real once more. If he just ignored it, it didn't hurt as much...well, eventually it would overwhelm him and that was why he had such bad nightmares sometimes, but still. Speaking about it was difficult, so very hard. But he trusted Severus and he knew that the older man would listen without judging, would guide him to where he needed to be, and wouldn't let any harm come to him. He took a shaky breath, biting his lip for a moment before reigning his magic back in and letting his heart calm. He could do this. “I...He wants to see me. He said he wouldn't contest Alexis adopting me but that he wants to see me, talk with me. I haven't seen my brother since I was seven, Professor. Seven. And now he wants to see me? Now that I'm not being beaten regularly? Now that I don't have to fear leaving my room? Now that I don't have to fight to survive the summers? Why now? Why?!” He gasped, his eyes burning with unshed tears.

“Perhaps your brother has a reason, Bain. But he might not. Meeting with him might be good for you, it might help you let go of some of this anger toward him. You do not have to answer him now and you do not have to see he if you wish. But know this, whatever you choose, you are not alone. I will be here to help you through this, as will Alexis. You are safe child. Just let it out.” Severus stated softly, reaching out to rest a gentle hand on the boy's ankle. He felt the boy's magic push out once before it was drawn back in and blue eyes flew open, tears silently running down his face.   
He let his emotions out, he had to. He was safe here. He could be angry here, but he wasn't angry anymore. These were not tears of anger; no, these were tears of pain. Bain hesitated for a moment, blinking rapidly, before launching himself into the open arms of his master. It didn't matter to him that they were still seated on the floor; it didn't even matter that he was seventeen, a man in their world. All that mattered was that those strong arms wrapped around him and held him, murmuring reassurances into his ears.

He held the teenager until he had calmed down, finally arching a brow at the boy. “Better?” He gave a half-smile when redden eyes met his, tear tracks dried on his cheeks.

“Yes sir. Thank you.” Bain whispered, pulling back slowly.

Severus waved it off, standing and pacing the circle thrice, counterclockwise this time. He thanked the magic and the elements, letting the peace of the magic fill him for a moment before stopping to face the teenager. He reached down a hand and pulled the child to his feet, and directly into his arms. He hugged the boy, this time a bit more comfortably and at a less awkward angle, letting the peaceful magic that filled him pass on to the child.

He closed his eyes, accepting the ancient magic into his own. It was almost like a calming feed but more...intense. This magic felt wonderful against his own, wrapping him in a tight hug before it dissipated. “Can you teach me that?” He queried, eyes wide with wonder. He knew the magic passed to him because of their bond as Master and Apprentice, just as Alexis could pass the powerful magic to him as his guardian. It was not magic he could keep as it had to return to the world around them, but it was wonderful to even feel the intense bits of magic for a moment.

He laughed, a deep rumbling from his stomach that rose up and out of his mouth. Bain merely grinned at him cheekily, eyes glinting with joy for a brief minute. Magic, pure and simple magic, could cause that bliss he knew. He knew that well. When his master had started teaching him, he had been so drawn to the magic, to the rituals and ways of worship. His master had passed on the rituals to honour the Goddess and the deep understanding of magic. He would gladly do that same. “Of course I can, child. In a few weeks. You have to have a grip on your temper and a mind open to learning the necessary rituals.” He replied with a snort, knowing that the first would be much harder than the latter. The problem with children raised in the non-magical world, the main problem, was that they did not know nor understand where their magic actually came from. They were not raised with the prayers and rituals that the majority of pure-blooded children were. Some, of course, called the rituals dark but they were not. Religion, in the magical world, was as diverse and accepted as sexuality. There were the children raised with the Gods and Goddesses, of course, and then there were child raised to believe in only one God, or raised to believe in nothing. Those were always the hardest to teach, those who believed in nothing, who didn't really care about where their magic came from nor did they respect their magic as they should. Severus knew he would have to teach the child about the Gods and Goddesses first, about magic itself, before he could even begin to teach him how to cast a simple circle or perform any ritual. The child would be participating in one, of course, as his blood adoption would be a ritual to solidify the bond between him and Alexis but that was much different from performing a personal ritual or a Yule ritual. The child had much to learn, much that he could teach him since he was so open to learning, but first there was a few simple matters to deal with.

Bain grimaced when the older man pulled back slightly and he was turned to the side. The three hard smacks to his still slightly sore bottom caused him to wince. He knew the man was going easy on him, this time. He also knew that he wouldn't be so lax the next time. He swore then, to himself, to never let there be a next time. The stinging spells were enough; he would be mortified to be put over the damn man's knee because he broke his top rules again. Because he knew that would hurt worse than any stinging spell, not just the pain of the smacks either. But the disappointment would hurt so much worse than any spanking ever could. He had been over the man's knee once before, when he was younger, and once was more than enough.

He turned the child again, glad to have that part taken care of. He hated disciplining children like that but he also did not make idle warnings. And he knew his old master would have been much harsher if he had done the same as Bain had. Had been much harder on him, actually, because he had done something similar when he was younger. And although it had worked for him, he did not like the heavy-handed approach with his children. Instead, he rather they thought about their behaviour and figured out what was wrong with it, so that they wouldn't do something so foolish again. “Now, I require an essay on what you were brewing, why randomly throwing ingredients into the cauldron is bad, and what could have gone wrong by tomorrow evening. I also want lines: 'I will not brew while angry because I could easily make a mistake and become injured' two hundred times. By in the morning. And, because you have so much to write for me, you are grounded until Tuesday morning, which means?”

“No experimental brewing.” Bain groaned, scowling at his shoes. He felt like such a naughty child when Severus spoke in that brisk, no-nonsense tone.

“And?”

“I have to stay in Alexis' quarters except for meals.”

“Very good.” He sighed, watching the child pout for a moment. “I understand your anger, Bain, I do. But I need you to follow my rules. I am your master and I do not make rules for no reason. I do not want you brewing angry because accidents are more likely to happen when you are distracted. I do not want you experimenting without me around because potions can quickly go wrong. If you do not believe either of those statements, I have proof of them.” He hesitated, looking into the boy's eyes for a moment. He wasn't quite sure he wanted to tell this story, but he knew it was important for the younger man to understand why he made seemingly pointless rules. Pointless to the child, at least. “When I was your age, I thought I knew better than my master. I was experimenting, without his supervision or knowledge, when in a moment, everything went wrong. I was unable to erect a shield around the cauldron as it exploded and the potion splashed my leg before I could get away. My master felt his wards going off and the charm that alerted him if I was injured, the same charm you wear. He rushed into the lab and vanished the mess, but not before the potion had managed to melt away half the skin on my leg. He managed to stop the poisoning and save my leg, but it did damage the nerves and leave a horrifying scar. “ He stated finally, eyes distant.

“What he did he do to you?” Bain asked quietly, wincing at the injury. When he put it that way...his anger could have ended horribly today.

He sighed, focusing on the child in front of him once more. What hadn't his master done? The older wizard had healed him and then held him tightly while he sobbed his pain and fear. He hadn't punished him harshly for it, because the man said he had already been punished enough. But he had lost his trust for a while. A long while. “Besides grounding me to his quarters? I wasn't allowed in the lab for a week, and then for three months afterwards, only when I was with him. He placed an age line in front of the door so that I could not enter and if I tried to cross it...well, he wasn't too pleased. I also lost his trust, because I went behind his back to do something he told me not to. But he didn't stop caring about me and he didn't stop teaching me, I just had to earn that trust back.” And he had, though it had taken months of obedience and hard work.

He gave a soft nod, shifting uncomfortably for a moment. He was glad Severus hadn't been that harsh, to ban him from the lab for a week. Not this time, anyway. His bottom hurt and he had lines to write, but it could be worse and he knew that. The sting would vanish soon and while the essay might be difficult, it was an assignment that he had come to expect. Even though he had to face the embarrassment of telling Alexis why he was grounded, he still had Severus' trust. And that meant a lot to him. His anger could have ended horribly, he could have been injured or killed. And his master was telling him that, with a personal story of his own. Because his master hadn't been as lucky as he was, he had been injured. Bain understood this, understood what Severus was saying. That the man still cared about him, would still be his master, no matter how many mistakes he made.


	17. Misbehave

Teddy frowned, watching his friend pace restlessly. They were in Karrie's new room and Harry was...agitated. The brown-haired youth shook his head, glancing at the girl who was stretched out on the bed beside him, reading. Harry had been pacing for several minutes now and he knew the other boy was thinking, but they couldn't help him if he didn't tell them what was wrong. Their friendship ran on trust, openness, and acceptance. It felt like it was going to be a long afternoon, even for a Sunday.

He grumbled under his breath, catching the bits and sparkles of magic as he paced. He wanted to fly! But Remus had said no, that they couldn't fly right now. The man wasn't here right now though...he had gone up to speak with Professor Flitwick and Severus was still in his office, apparently talking with a student. He wasn't quite sure. So why couldn't they fly? It wasn't like he ever needed permission before and they would never know. After all, they could just say they went to Teddy's room or to visit Hagrid... “Let's go fly.” He turned back toward his two friends, noting their frowns.

“We can't, Harry. Remus said no.” Karrie sighed, briefly glancing up from the book Millie had sent her. Millie...she really needed to talk to someone about Mille, an adult, but who?

“So? He'll never know.” Harry shrugged, turning his eyes to meet brown.

Teddy shook his head, biting his lip for a moment. Although he did want to fly, he knew better than to disobey an adult. It usually meant trouble. “We'll get in trouble.”

He groaned, shaking his head. So what if they did? Their guardians had said that they would never be beaten, although he didn't quite believe that. He just wanted to fly. So badly. It always made him feel better. “Come on, it'll be fun.” He argued finally. Harry did understand why his friends didn't want to get into trouble, but he didn't care. He just wanted to do something, anything, to prove that they really didn't want him. Because he knew they'd send him back eventually. Better get it over with. And he knew they wouldn't send back Karrie or Teddy. But him, well, he wasn't important and he was angry. And sad. And well, he didn't even know how he felt!

“Neither of us have brooms Harry. And your broom is warded.” Teddy reasoned quietly.

He blinked. It was locked up...but perhaps he could undo the spell? He'd been toying with magic lately and sometimes wards just fell apart after a while. “I think I can remove the ward.”

Karrie sat her book down, sitting up with wide eyes. “Really?” If he could, she wanted to see it. She had only heard of such magic before, being able to just remove an unknown spell. But those were usually very powerful grown witches and wizards. They were just children, it wasn't something they were suppose to be able to do yet, if at all.

“I think so, yeah.” He shrugged, glancing at Teddy. The slightly older boy hesitated for a moment before nodding. If nothing else, it would be fun to try. He grinned, racing toward the living room. He skidded to a stop near the cupboard, trying the handle for a moment. It was locked and he knew a standard unlocking spell would still set the wards off. He had to remove the wards and then unlocked the door. He frowned, placing his hand on the door and concentrating on the glimmers of magic that ran through it. He felt the wards weakening slightly, as he pulled at the strands. He didn't quite understand what he was doing but at least it was working.

“What, may I ask, are you doing?” Severus drawled from the doorway. He stepped quickly into the room, striding toward his hazardous potion cupboard and the children. He had felt that alarm immediately, that someone was messing with the cupboard. They had never thought that the children would try to unlock a locked door, but perhaps they should have warned them not to. Either way, what the boy was doing wasn't an unlocking spell nor was it something he should be doing. He had left Bain in his office when the alarm went off but he knew the older boy would follow.

Harry jumped, trying to pull his hand away from the door. He grimaced, tugging it but his hand wouldn't move. Uh-oh. That wasn't what he meant to do.

He stopped beside the child, squinting to see the bits of magic. It looked like the ward, one of the strongest invented, had wrapped around the child's hand and was sealing it to the wood. He swore softly, turning dark eyes to spot the teenager. “Bain, get Alexis immediately. I don't care what she is doing, inform her that Mr. Potter has formed a ward around his hand. The ward that is on my hazardous potions cabinet.” He ordered, before turning his eyes to the two children. “Sit, both of you. Stop struggling Harry. You will only make it worse.” He knelt beside the messy haired child and bit back a sigh. They should have expected Harry to mess with the wards, they should have spoken to him about it sooner. But this past week had been busy and they had planned to have the conversation tomorrow. Clearly, tomorrow would be too late.

He grimaced, biting his lip. He was in for it now! Surely he would be punished for this...although, had the professor said that this was a potions cupboard? That couldn't be right! Where were the brooms, then? He tugged his hand again, glaring at the door. Harry started pulling at the bits of magic frantically, because his hand was now throbbing, struggling to get free.

“Stop, Harry! Do not mess with the ward! If you bring it down abruptly, the cabinet might explode. The potions inside are sensitive to magic and they are dangerous. That is why it is heavily warded.” Severus snapped, catching the child's free hand. The boy was going to cause more damage to himself if he didn't stop messing with the magic.

“Hurts.” He whimpered, biting his lip.

Teddy shifted uneasily on the couch, watching his friend struggle in silence. He should have stopped him, should have told him that it was a bad idea. But he didn't know this would happen, none of them had. He had only heard of using magic like this, and that was just pieces of adult conversation, just theories really. He had never seen someone do it before and his curiosity had got the better of him. Of them, really. All three of them had wanted to see if Harry could actually do it, so this happened. Damn.

“I know it hurts, child. Take a deep breath, that's it.” Severus squeezed the boy's hand gently, using his free hand to brush tears off of his cheeks. Only his child would end up in a situation like this. Alexis needed to hurry up, before they had to do more than just heal bruising. He turned his head when the floo went off, catching her eye when she stumbled out of it. She had never been the most graceful at floo exits.

She hesitated for a moment, surveying the scene in front of her. The child's hand was wrapped tightly in olive green strands of magic, pushed into a violent mess of multi-coloured pieces of magic. Damn child couldn't do anything in halves. Alexis crouched beside the child silently, examining his hand with her eyes and magic once more. The boy must had created a hole in the layer of wards, causing the magic that protected the potions to strike out against him. He was lucky that he hadn't made the cabinet explode. His hand looked to have the beginnings of burn marks on it; she needed to act fast. “I need you to be still, Harry. As still as possible.” She murmured softly, stretching her hand, palm out, toward the door. She did not, however, touch the door, which was the child's second mistake. His first had been trying to unravel a ward that clearly fought him back. She closed her eyes, finding the sickly green bits of magic in her mind. She carefully weaved the blue of the wards back together, using a strand of yellow magic to separate the child's hand from the wards. In her mind, she slowly unraveled the green, rolling the pieces of magic up like a ball. She turned her hand, palm up, concentrating for a moment.

He frowned, one hand still on the child, watching as a ball of light slowly formed in Alexis' outstretched hand. To work magic like this, without any circles or wards, without any direction, was not just difficult and rare, something few adult mages could do, but in its rawest form it was extremely draining on the witch or wizard. Sorceress, really. For she was not just manipulating the magic, bits that he could barely see, and not without years of learning to see it, but she was taking something, an accident the child created, and disassembling it; creating what she needed for it and destroying whatever was left. Well no, destroying was the wrong word, as magic couldn't ever really be destroyed. She was returning it, perhaps, to where magic stemmed from.

Grey eyes opened, smiling softly at the ball of magic before closing her hand and letting it flow back to where it came. “So mote it be.” She whispered, turning her eyes to the young teenager. She caught his hand as it slid from the door, turning it to study the palm for a moment. It was red and angry looking but there was no real damage, no lasting damage. The boy had been lucky; she had seen a smattering of cases where people had messed with magic they did not fully comprehend and it had ended quite badly. She reached into the pocket of her robes, fumbling around for a moment before pulling out a jar of salve. Working with children had the benefit of making her prepare for anything, something Tim had taught her years before. She took the boy's hand again, gently spreading the salve over the marks. “Well, Mr. Potter, you were quite lucky this time. I believe we need to have a discussion.” She remarked finally, rocking back on her heels.

He flinched, ducking his head. Harry knew that they only called him by his last name when he was in trouble or had done something stupid. And perhaps it had been stupid, he had got caught after all and he hadn't thought it was a potions cabinet. “Sorry Professor.” He murmured automatically.

“I'm sure you are, Harry. But what is it exactly that you are apologizing for?” She waited a moment, shaking her head when he didn't respond. “Do not apologize if you do not know what you are apologizing for.” She advised, straightening slowly and motioning toward the couch.

Severus stood, squeezing the child's shoulder briefly before eyeing the Headmistress. Tim would be...displeased if she fainted again. She did look quite pale and he knew how much magic and effort it took to do what she did, to help his child. “Go sit, Harry.” He turned dark eyes to meet gray, raising an eyebrow. She merely nodded, making a face for a fleeting second before turning toward the children once more. He walked beside her, just in case, coming to a stop in front of the three little miscreants. Well, one little miscreant and two curious young teenagers. “Why were you three trying to get into my _restricted_ potions cabinet? The potions in there are volatile. One wrong move, a bit of magic too much, and the entire cabinet could have exploded.” He drawled slowly, arching a brow at the squirming child. He had a feeling that Teddy and Karrie had very little to do with this misadventure.

“We thought it was a broom cupboard.” Karrie slowly looked up from her hands, green eyes going to her new guardian. She knew he wasn't really angry; he had been a bit at first but mostly, it was worry. And now, he was just disappointed. She didn't like disappointing her guardians though. Not at all. Even if she knew that they wouldn't hurt her; they might decide that they didn't want her.

“Why on earth would a broom cupboard have seven layers of wards?” Alexis asked, shaking her head slowly. All of this because of brooms? If she remembered correctly, Remus and Severus kept the brooms in their bedroom but not locked up; much as she did.

“Erm.” He shrugged, glancing at Teddy. The other boy had furrowed his brow, biting his lip in thought. He just didn't want to get his friends in trouble. He had been the one removing the wards, after all.

“It wouldn't. Seven layers?” Teddy muttered, scowling slightly. He knew his friend had a gift but to mess with seven layers of wards was foolish. Unless Harry hadn't noticed, the other boy didn't know as much about magic after all. He had been raised by muggles, of course he wouldn't know old traditions and about layers of magic. But he couldn't have explained it to his friend, he barely grasped it himself.

She gave the oldest young teenager a brief nod, turning her eyes to focus solely on the messy-haired child. “You cannot just mess with magic Harry. It isn't a toy to be trifled with at will, but a sentient being the deserves respect. Using magic like that needs tight control, control that you do not have yet. Your core has yet to stabilize, your magic has not reached maturity. You cannot just use magic that you do not understand nor comprehend.” She scolded finally, folding her arms and leaning back slightly.

Harry scowled, glaring at his trainers. He hadn't been messing! He had just been trying to remove a spell; it was something he liked trying, even if it didn't always work. Although he didn't quite understand what he was doing, he had figured out how to do it. It was interesting and the magic...it called to him. He knew what a magical core was, of course, but he didn't understand why it had to mature. When did it mature, anyway? Maybe with puberty? But the book Severus gave him, the parts he'd read so far anyway, didn't mention stabilizing the core. What did that even mean, anyway? He felt so stupid in situations like this, but at least Karrie looked as lost as he was. “Why does a core have to stabilize, Professor? I thought all magicals were born with it.” He questioned finally, peeking up at her. The worse she could do was refuse to answer, after all, but he didn't think she would. She was a teacher: they usually encouraged questions.

“All magicals are born with a magical core but that core isn't fully formed. Your core will continue to grow and change until it matures. The core stabilizes around puberty, it becomes a bit more settled, easier to control. That is why first and second years learn mostly theory, because their cores are not at a stable enough point to consistently perform magic. Rarely is there a child whose core doesn't stabilize until maturity, which is usually between sixteen and eighteen, when your magic is fully within your control; although it will develop a little bit longer, it will not change very much.” She explained carefully, shifting through the knowledge in her mind. “Using magic helps your core strengthen, much like a muscle. But when you use magic that you do not understand, you can do damage to your core, by forcing it to form pathways that it isn't quite ready for. Not many people can do what you do, Harry. Not many can naturally see what you see. They can train themselves to see the bits of magic but most of the time they have to look for it or the magic cast has to be very powerful.” Alexis added softly, crouching to be on eye level with the seated child. She needed him to understand this because she wasn't so sure that he wouldn't be harmed next time. She needed to test his levels, to see where he was at magically and what he was able to do now. He would not learn as she did, without proper instruction and a complete lack of control. But then, his core would not mature until he was in his late teens. There would be no need for it to mature earlier than that, not anymore. A child's magic only matured before sixteen if it was a drastic matter between life or death. Of all the abused children in her care, those who were not quite sixteen, none of their cores had ever decided to fully come into power, even if the threat to their lives had been great, and she knew they had been. She only knew of three cases where a child's core had matured early and the child had survived the backlash of magic. Severus who had been fifteen, right after his mother had passed away; Charlie who had also been fifteen; and herself, when she was merely fourteen. The youngest core to ever mature was an eight year old child and the child had died from the overpowering of their magic; the youngest to survive...well, that had been her. Or so Tim had told her.

He tilted his head to the side, looking at her fully now. He knew he was a freak but apparently he was a bigger freak than he thought, if her words were true. As he had no reason to doubt her, he was sure they were. “I understand, professor.” He muttered, turning his eyes back to his trainers. And he did understand, he understood that he was a freak and that what he did was bad. Isn't that what she was saying, after all?

Alexis sighed, meeting Severus' eyes for a moment. She wasn't quite sure that the child did understand but she would take it for now. “Alright Harry. Come by my office after supper and we will work on your abilities.” She relented finally, shaking her head. She would have to find a way to explain it better to the child this evening, a way to make the complex notions understandable for a twelve year old. Hell, she remembered when Tim had explained it to her and she hadn't understood either; she had been much older than this child was! She would have to get Tim's help to test the boy...so much to do today.

“Yes Professor.” Harry replied obediently, furrowing his brow. Why would she want to work with a freak like him? There was no helping a freak; freaks were just useless, wastes of time. Burdens. That's what Uncle had always said, even if Severus and Remus said otherwise. He knew he was a burden to them, they had to buy him clothes and toys after all. So he knew he was a burden, so why would she want to work with him?

“All right then.” She straighten slowly, beckoning to her brother with an inclination of her head and moving toward the kitchen. She paused briefly, ruffling Teddy's hair. The child leaned into her touch for a moment before grinning up at her and taking off with his friends.

“You look horrible.” Severus drawled, offering the younger woman a potion. She merely shrugged, batting away his hand.

“Keep an eye on Harry. I will work with him tonight; however I do not believe he understood my warning.” She sighed, leaning against the counter and closing her eyes.

If she fainted on him, he would kill her. And then Filius would kill him. It was a never-ending cycle. He snorted softly to himself, reaching out a hand to steady her. Filius had admonished him to keep an eye on his _sister_ but every time he tried to help her, she would just brush him off; brush it off like it was nothing, like there wasn't something wrong with her. He rested his hand gently on her upper arm, feeling her tremble slightly. “Alexis. Take this now.” He growled, placing the vial to her lips. Grey eyes flew up and she glared at him, lips pressed firmly shut. “I will call Tim.” He threatened silkily, dangerously soft.

She bit her lip, eyeing the potion for a moment. Her head felt like an elephant was standing on it and her limbs were shaky, but otherwise she was fine. She didn't need a replenisher! It would make her sleep and she had too much to do to sleep. She needed to speak with Bain, he had seemed a bit distraught when he had fetched her; she still had piles of paperwork to get through, she needed to check on each of her wards and she wanted a bit of time with Teddy; she had to work with Elijah on controlling his temper and Ariana needed to talk to someone about her past and Marko and Milo were fighting and....she just had too much to do. She could do it, of course, and she would, because these children needed her, but she didn't need a nap, not right now. She finally pushed his hand away, shaking her head. “I'm fine, Sev.” She was fine, really. She just needed a few minutes to breathe and let her magic calm down once more. Disabling that ward and freeing the child shouldn't have affected her like this but she knew that she had spent a lot of magic lately, by reinforcing and applying wards to the school. Her body was not quite used to the amount of magic she was channeling, but it would be in time. She just needed a bit of time.

He arched a brow at her, stashing the potion into his pocket and taking hold of her elbow. He pulled her away from the counter, encircling her with his arm and steering her from the kitchen toward his and Remus' bedroom. If they were going to fight, and they would fight if he forced this potion down her, which he would, then they would do so in private, away from the ears of children. She was leaning heavily against him, tremors still shaking her too thin frame. If this was fine, he'd hate to see what bad looked like. A wave of his hand opened the door to the bedroom, guiding her gently into the room. He pushed her toward the bed, stepping back to sneer at her. “Do not lie to me.” He growled as she sank down onto the bed, her head in her hands.

“Mind your own business.” She snapped.

He snorted, shaking his head. “You _are_ my business.” And she was. Even if they hadn't had the bonding yet, even if the adoption wasn't official, she was still his business, his sister. Perhaps it had only been a few days since Filius had brought up the subject to them, but she had been his sister for much longer. His magic recognized her as family and had done so for over a year now. Since that faithful day with the acromantulas... a shared misadventure had strengthen the bond they were already forming, and the bond they both had with Filius. The blood adoption would make that bond even stronger. If he didn't kill her before then, of course.

“I have work to do, Severus.” She growled, moving to stand but a firm hand pressed her back down.

“You are no good to the children if you are too weak to do anything.”

She groaned, shaking her head. That turned out to be a mistake as the pain in her head increasing suddenly. She knew he was right but that didn't mean she had to agree with him. She had too much to do and sleeping brought...dreams.

He removed the potion from his robes once more, holding it out to the younger woman. “Come now, Alexis. It will make you feel better.” He directed softly, finally sitting beside her on the bed. “I will keep an eye on the children. Just take it.”

She met his eyes for a brief moment, knowing that she would not win this. She leaned against him, feeling his arm come up around her once more, before taking the vial from him. She swished the liquid around for a moment before uncorking the vial and tipping it into her mouth. She felt the magic of the potion rush through her and she took a deep breath, letting her body relax.

Severus glanced down at the younger woman, smirking at her sleeping form. She was exhausted, her body had not been getting enough sleep, and then she spent too much magic. Probably not just with his child, but also messing with the school's wards again. He would need to help her strip and reapply the wards at a later date; right now she needed rest. He picked her up, moving the covers with a wave of his hand, and laid her fully onto the bed. He tugged the covers around her, casting a small charm to let him know if she woke, before leaving her to her sleep. She was taking care of the children, so he would take care of her.

-x-

She groaned, rolling away from the hand on her shoulder. “Five more minutes.” Came the sleepy murmur, her eyes not even bothering to open.

“It's time to wake up, Alexis. You've been sleeping for three hours.” The brown-haired man explained sternly, laying out Alexis' robe. He vanished into the en-suite for a moment, to set out some clean clothes and a towel for the younger woman. This was not the first time she had fallen asleep, or been forced to sleep, on their bed. And if his plan went as he hoped, the younger woman would join them, with her wards, as a member of their household. The cottage was quite large enough for all of them, after all, and in most British families, at least the pure-blooded ones, generations of families often lived under one roof. Of course, they had a summer to get through first. He returned to the room and bit back a sigh. While she was cute when she slept, she needed to get up. She had already missed lunch and although there was still a few hours until dinner, she would not sleep tonight if she didn't get up. Remus pulled the covers off of her, shaking his head when she just curled up tighter. “Come Alexis. Up.”

She groaned, groping about for the blanket. She was cold and she wanted to sleep! Damn man. She gasped when she was lifted into the air, cradled against a strong chest, an arm under her legs and one around her shoulders. Her eyes flew open to glare into brown. “Down!” She snapped.

He ignored her, striding into the bathroom with her in his arms. He finally set her on her feet, raising an eyebrow at her snarl. “Shower. You will feel better.” He ordered quietly, turning and leaving the younger woman to do just that. He closed the door quietly and sat down on the edge of the bed, listening for the sounds of running water. It took a few minutes but the shower finally turned on and he smirked, setting the potion Severus had left for her on top of her robes and leaving to check on his children.

-x-

Alexis bit back a smile, gazing down at the boy asleep in her lap. Teddy was stretched out on the couch, his head resting in her lap and his feet curled up against Bain. Elijah sat on Bain's other side, both of the older boys had lap-desks and were writing essays. Of her three boys, only the youngest was well-behaved, it seemed. She could get used to this though, having these three boys with her all the time. To have all three of them become hers...it was possible, after all. She was planning to adopt Bain and Teddy anyway; but Elijah had also found a way into her heart, had become one of her children. She had nineteen wards, yes, and she spent time with each of them, but these three were becoming hers, becoming more than just children that she was responsible for, more than just caring about their welfare. Her magic had accepted them as her children, was forming a deeper bond than just guardian with these children's magic. She knew Bain noticed the bond, but Elijah and Teddy probably hadn't yet, or didn't know what that tug at their magic was. She had to speak with Elijah about it, of course, to make sure he was alright with her adopting him. She would have fewer wards by the end of summer as it was. Pomona was going to take custody of Robert and little Nora; Charity had fallen for Ariana and little Lila; Septima was debating on taking three of the teenagers; Marko and Milo had a grandfather in the wizarding world who wanted custody and who was vouched for by Lucius; and Karrie had become Remus and Severus'. She couldn't adopt them all, but she could find homes and families for the rest, or keep them as her wards. It would be a long process, a lot of paperwork, and no small amount of patience, but it was possible. These children would have families, all of them. She glanced over at her office door at the slight buzzing sound, frowning when the orb flashed a light blue. A child, then. She sighed softly, looking down at Teddy once more. She hated to wake the child, as he did not sleep often enough.

Elijah crouched beside the older woman, gently wrapping his arms under Teddy. He lifted the skinny boy slightly, allowing the headmistress to slip out from under him, before lowering the child carefully back onto the pillow Bain had placed there. He frowned when the child tossed slightly, muttering in his sleep, hesitating for a moment before transfiguring another pillow into a small stuffed dragon. Unfortunately it was the colour of the pillow, a dark purple, but it did look quite like a dragon. He eased it into the child's grasp, before returning to his spot on the couch. Her nod of approval and smile made his stomach feel warm. The brief touch to the top of his head caused him to smile, because it felt...nice. Like he was cared about.

“Bain's in charge, stay in the quarters. If I'm not back by supper, the three of you head down to the Hall and stay together.” She murmured softly, smiling briefly at her two thoughtful lads before entering her office. She shut the door behind her and strode purposefully to the outside door. She opened it at the timid knock, gazing down at...Karrie. “Come in, child. Is everything alright?” She asked calmly, ushering the girl toward the desk. She wondered if Remus knew where his child was.

She hesitated, green eyes unsure. “Can I..can I talk to you, Professor?” She asked finally, biting her lip. The woman had told them that they could all come to her, that she was open to all of them. She even spent part of the evenings in the camp quarters, just to talk with whoever wanted to or, usually, to listen.

“Of course. Come, let's sit. Hot chocolate, Karrie?” She offered, tapping twice on her desk, The mugs popped into view and she held one out to the younger girl. A hesitated hand accepted the mug as the girl shifted uneasily in her seat. “Now, what's on your mind Karrie?” She questioned causally, leaning back to study the child. It was easier for the children if she appeared relaxed and calm, more reassuring for them. If she was relaxed, they would relax which made it easier for them to speak about what bothered them. With this child, in particular, it could be a number of things but Karrie wasn't one who actively sought help or advice. Hopefully, they could change that.

She stared into the mug of chocolate for a moment, taking a careful sip of it. It was delicious and it warmed her belly, perhaps chocolate really was magical after all. “I'm worried about...my friend.” She responded finally, peeking up at the woman briefly. The headmistress was perfectly blank but she could tell that the woman was listening and she could see the bit of concern that showed through her eyes.

“What is causing you to worry?” Alexis asked calmly, running through a list of the girl's known friends. Harry, Teddy, Lila and Ariana were the only ones that she had seen her with, around the camp at least. Ariana had agreed to keep an eye of Karrie and Lila often went wherever her older sister was. She knew Ariana was having problems of her own but for some reason she didn't think the girl meant Ariana. She could mean one of the other children, of course, but then, the child might also mean herself. It wouldn't be the first time that a child used a friend as an excuse to ask for help or get advice, without letting on that it was for them.

Karrie took a deep breath, hesitating for a moment. Millie would never speak to her again if she told, but she was worried about her friend. And she wished she had someone to speak up for her when she was first...yeah. She could do this. Jake, Mary, and Charlie were always telling them to talk to an adult if they were worried about their safety or a friends safety. Because abused kids often found each other, apparently. Often knew each other. It was true here, because the camp was all abused kids, but she wasn't sure if it would be true outside of camp. But if it would help her friend, then she would tell. “My friend was...attacked by another student last semester.” She murmured, staring at her shoes.

She blinked, that wasn't what she had been expecting at all. A student was attacked in her school?! She forced herself to calm, keeping her expression as bland as possible. “Could you be more specific, Karrie?”

“My friend was assaulted by an older boy, a prefect, but he threatened to tell everyone that she was a lying Slytherin slut and she was scared he would hurt her. That no one would believe her; that since he didn't rape her, it didn't matter. She won't listen to me! And she's afraid to come back to school because of it!” Karrie growled, frustrated. Millie wouldn't listen to her! Her friend had been hurt and there was nothing she could do about it! Millie had said that the boy would graduate this next year, so it wasn't such a big deal, but she didn't understand! The other girl had a Head of House that was so much like her own, that would have believed her and dealt, harshly, with the creep. Would she have told if it was her? Probably not, but she was used to being used that way. She didn't want her friend to become this way, to become used to those touches, to feel dirty all the time. Millie wasn't her, she didn't need to become bad like her. She just wanted to protect her friend.

A prefect assaulted a younger student? And Dumbledore didn't know?! There were alarms to alert to such things, unless the damn man had ignored or disabled them. The child was a Slytherin...why didn't the girl tell Severus? The man was quite caring toward his students, he was always there for them and she knew that the little snakes knew this. But perhaps the girl was frightened into not telling, perhaps the boy had threatened to do serious harm to her. That did make sense and she had met many survivors of violent acts who had been forced into silence. Prefects were in a position of power and he could have easily threatened her. She needed to know who this child and her attacker were, so that she could talk to the girl and, if possible, expel the boy. It might not be possible, depending on how sure of the identity the child was and her memories of the event. But she would not have a child attacked while in her school, nor would she have a child who was terrified of coming back to school. “Who is your friend?” She asked slowly, watching the child squirm and shake her head. “I cannot help, child, if I don't know who she is.” She added gently

She grimaced, raising grey eyes to meet gray. “Millie.”

One of Lucius'? And Narcissa hadn't found out about it yet? That was...odd. The Malfoy couple was quite good at getting the children they kept to speak about what was bothering them. Narcissa was good with children and teenagers, even if she wasn't a certified mind healer. She mothered so many children, those who she kept while their parents worked or traveled, or those who didn't have a mother at all. The woman had once even mothered her, when she was an apprentice and Tim needed someone to keep an eye on her when he got called away. The woman would be very upset to hear that one of her charges had been assaulted while at school. “Thank you for telling me, Karrie. I will make sure it is quite safe for Millie to come back to school. I will take it from here.” She responded quietly, nodding at the girl.

She knew a dismissal when she heard one and she didn't doubt that the professor believed her. She went to stand, setting her mug down. “Thank you, Professor.”

“Karrie...how are you holding up child?” She questioned softly.

The girl blinked, shrugging. “I'm fine, Professor.”

Of course. Well, it was worth a try. “Would you like to use the floo?” She offered, biting back a sigh. A nod and a small grin were her only answers. “I'm here if you need anything child.” She added, handing the girl a bit of floo powder. Green eyes stared into hers for a moment before the child nodded once more and vanished through the floo, back to Remus and Severus' quarters. Back home. She took a deep breath, running her hand through her hair. She needed to contact Lucius and check on her boys. Lucius first and then Tim, the three of them would have to get the child's statement. And Severus would need to be alerted. So much to do for this child and it needed to be done now. She took another deep breath, nodding to herself and turned to her desk to find the paperwork she needed. Because everything had paperwork, after all.


	18. Not Alone

Nearly black eyes watched the pacing healer, shaking his head slightly. She was muttering to herself in German again and he knew better than to cast a translation spell on her. Severus understood enough to know that she was swearing violently every few words. He had had to fight down his rage when she had informed him that one of his _second_ _years_ had been assaulted while under his care and hadn't told him. Of course, after he calmed down enough to think straight, he realized that the child was probably too terrified to tell him but that did nothing to lessen his anger at her attacker. It was getting the child to talk that had proven to be a problem. Even with Narcissa there and her mother offering to floo in, the child had refused. Millicent had agreed to let them view her memories, which Tim and Lucius were still in, but it had not shown them her attackers face and she was too scared to tell them. Her mother was trying to return early, but the child had the nerve to tell her mother to finish her work. Narcissa would take care of the girl and was acting as a stand-in guardian but there wasn't much they could do if the child wouldn't work with them. Worse, Millicent had shouted that she would never speak to Karrie again and he knew that this would hurt his ward greatly. “Merlin's sake, Alexis. Sit!” He growled finally, sneering at her.

She merely glanced at him, not even pausing her stride. Someone had harmed one of her students. It made her angry. She had to seek justice for that little girl, even if the pre-teen had not been able to name her attacker; she had known the date it had happened and had known that it had been after her curfew. They could easily pull up the records and see which prefects had been on duty that night and try to narrow the list down. She had seen the fear in the child's eyes, under the false bravado and the anger at her friend. When Millicent had time to process and think about it, she would understand Karrie's actions; she was a smart girl, after all. Smart, but terrified of coming back to school and afraid that people would think badly of her. That they would blame her. She was a child, she didn't understand that it wasn't her fault; bad things had been done to her, but it was not her fault. She had hoped to get that through to the child but she doubted it. Oh! If she could get her hands on that boy!

“You're shaking the shelves.” Severus drawled, raising an eyebrow at the younger woman. He was angry but he could control his temper and his magic. Alexis usually did as well; unfortunately her magic was now connected to Hogwarts which could make the results...spectacular.

“Control yourself Alexis.” Tim ordered briskly, stepping back from the pensieve. He had viewed the memory from several directions, had looked around as far outside the parameter as he could. He knew Lucius had been analyzing the bits of speech, looking for any context that would give away the boy's identity. The stoic-faced blond was having trouble control his anger as well, but at least he understood the need to set aside rage, at least from a legal standpoint. This was not the first time he had to view such a memory and he would bet that it wasn't the first time for Lucius either. He knew Alexis had viewed many similar memories in the past but this one seemed to get under her skin. Tim frowned, brown eyes narrowing at the younger woman. “Enough.” He added dryly, stepping toward her.

She growled under her breath, muttering a series of curses but slowly drew her magic under control. Tim always seemed to know when she was about to explode, damn man.

The silent stinging spell he send toward her was deflected with a wave of her hand, grey eyes flashing dangerously. She needed to settle and even if her magic was calming down, she was not. He knew her too well. “Jetzt Alexis.” The immediate response was a slur that he ignored, one that often came out of her mouth when she was angry or upset. This one incident should not have caused this reaction from her; normally her anger would be contained but now...it was as if everything was hitting her all at once. And perhaps it was. He stepped closer to where she was pacing once more, raising an eyebrow at the younger woman. It was rude to switch languages in company but, at the moment, it was also necessary. “Was ist los?”

“Verpisst euch!” Alexis snarled, hissing when a hand smacked her bottom. “Tim! Nicht hier bitte!”She moved out of his reach, turning to glare at him.

“Oh? Then do not speak to me like that.” He warned quietly, shrugging. She should know by now that he didn't care who was in the room, he would reprimand her for disrespect and bad behaviour, whether it was toward him or someone else.

She flushed, lowering her eyes quickly. “Tut mir leid.” She murmured, grimacing at his switch to English. She was quite aware of the way both Severus and Lucius were looking at her; clearly both of them had understood that swear, at least, even if they had been lost by the rest of their conversation.

Tim gave a brisk nod, accepting the apology for what it was. “We will discuss this later. Sit, now, so that we can handle more important topics.” She obeyed him almost instantly, beckoning for him to continue. “Is there a record of which prefects were on duty that night?”

Severus nodded, reaching for the pile of papers he had been sorting through. Only his sister would take her anger out on her healer, although he knew quite well that Tim would only put up with so much from her before he took her to task for it. And found out exactly what was causing her to act this way. “I had to search through the mess of McGonagall's office. She didn't keep any of the forms filed and some of them were gone. Without Gio's help, I wouldn't have found any of the records at all.” He growled, offering a copy of the duty list from that night to each of them.

Alexis summoned a quill, quickly marking off all of the girls. There had been six prefects on duty that night, two of them girls. Of the four that remained, one had graduated and the other was a Slytherin. Severus was positive that it was not one of his students who had attacked the child. “ Without the girls, Flint, and Mitchell, that leaves just two.” She remarked, glancing down at the two names. She knew neither of these students, both sixth years, but Severus would.

“Are we positive it couldn't be Mitchell's?” Lucius asked, frowning down at the list. Davies and Weasley...neither boys were who he would immediately suspect. But he knew it wasn't Flint, as Millie, and the rest of the children staying with him, was quite taken by the older boy. He knew that when they were first years Flint was charged with watching out for them and spent time playing with and comforting them.

“As I caught Mr. Mitchell snogging Ms. Ellis near one of the potions labs, I'm certain.” He drawled, tapping long fingers against the parchment for a moment. “It could have been an off-duty prefect.” Severus suggested, sighing softly. If that was the case, they might never find the child's attacker. After all, each house had at least six prefects. Slytherin and Ravenclaw both usually had ten, depending on the number of students that year.

“I know of neither of these boys. Describe them for me?” Alexis requested, twirling her quill between her fingers. Tim had straighten in his chair, picking up his own quill. Clearly, he at least understood what she wanted.

He blinked. She was not asking what the boys looked like, but rather who they were. She wanted to profile them. It had been a while since he had done any form of profiling, although he knew Severus used profiling to help him recognize abuse faster and Tim would use it regularly. He only used it for a few cases but perhaps he could still remember the important details. Lucius did not know much about how the boys were at school but he had met both of them over the years and had a few impressions from those meetings. “Davies comes from a wealthy home. His parents are separated but get along well. Only child, well-behaved. The summer he spent with us, he was curious, respectful. A bit loud, outgoing.” He stated, gray eyes meeting equally gray for a moment.

“He does well when he applies himself, enjoys flying and excels in transfiguration. He is not know for being quiet and he has gotten into a few altercations with other students.” Severus paused, thinking back quickly. The boy had gotten into quite a few fights, actually. He had discussed teaching the child anger management with Filius but when he had spoken with the child, he had realized the reasons for his anger were not from the home. But because the older boy couldn't stand bullying, couldn't stand watching someone hurt a younger student. “He once tackled one of his year mates for shoving a first year Slytherin.” He added quietly, shaking his head. He could be wrong of course, but he was almost certain that it wasn't Davies now. He'd have to ask Filius but he didn't think the boy had ever shown an interest in any girl.

She nodded, making a few quick notes next to the child's name. It was looking quite unlikely that this boy had harmed one of her students. That left one Prefect on duty, but it might not be him either. It was frustrating, to have a student in her school harmed and not to be able to find the attacker. “Tell me about Weasley.” She requested briskly, blinking at the name. Weasley? The child of the woman who kept sending her howlers? A sibling of the volatile dragon-tamer?

“He's from a rather poor large family. Very quiet, spends a lot of time alone or studying.” Lucius shrugged, shaking his head. The Weasley boy was from a decent family, although his mother was quite a bit..much.

“He is the third child of seven, obsessively neat and very much a loner. He doesn't like large groups, has his mother's temper, and strives for perfection. Very much against anyone who is not the same as him.”Severus added quietly, grimacing. Weasley was one of his least favourite students and not because he didn't do his work, but because he sprouted bigotry.

She raised an eyebrow, summoning the child's file. Alexis flipped open the file and blinked, reading through the thin document twice before turning her attention back to the men. “He has never been in trouble?” She questioned, brows furrowing.

Severus snorted, that child had several detentions with him _and_ Filius. The boy wasn't as bad as his twin brothers, wasn't out for attention or a trouble-maker, but he did get angry, as all children do, and he had said quite a few things to some of his students that had led to detention. “Serious trouble? No. Detentions and point deductions, yes. He was quick to judge and quicker to say whatever came to mind. Rash, bitter.” He replied, catching her eyes. Her gaze was calculating and he could guess at where her thoughts were leading.

“There is nothing in his folder but grades and praise from McGonagall and Dumbledore. Nothing of substance, no medical records... _nothing_.” She hissed, not liking that conclusion. His disciplinary records were gone and he would have some, if he had served even one detention. Which meant someone had removed them and the only one with access before her had been McGonagall and Dumbledore. The old man wouldn't have done something like that, he had too much to do and the files had been in McGonagall's office. So the question was, what had that woman been hiding?

“I will do some digging.” Lucius offered quietly, shaking his head. It would not be easy but he could get any information necessary. The boy should have medical records somewhere, at least, and as a child's advocate he should be able to access them, with a reason of course. Medical records might not tell them anything but they could hold a clue, even a very small one.

“Thank you, Lucius. If Severus will find out where Davies and Weasley were stationed that night...we'll have more to go on. Let me know if Millicent remembers anything else.” She replied briskly, summoning another sheet of parchment. “You will have her speak with a healer, yes?” She inquired after a moment, sighing softly. The poor child, assaulted in a place where she should feel safe. Not only that, but blaming herself for it. The girl would need someone she could trust, someone to open up to.

“As Narcissa and I act as defacto parents while she is in our care, she will see our family healer. I believe you know him, as Eric tells me he has been offered a position at Hogwarts.” He smirked, standing stiffly and stretching out his back. He had much work to do and children to check in on; he needed to find who harmed one of his charges, because no one was allowed to touch those children. No one. “I must return home before Blaise drives Cissa up a wall.” He drawled, catching her hand when she stood and embracing the younger woman briefly. “Do try to get some rest, Alexis. You look dreadful.” He smirked when the younger woman merely sneered at him, shaking hands with Tim and clasping Severus on the shoulder, before disappearing through the floo.

Severus sighed, surveying the younger woman for a moment. She did look worn out still and he wasn't sure if she had eaten at all that day. “We will find her attacker, Alexis. I will ask the ghosts and portraits if they noticed anything that night. It isn't much, but it is a start.” He murmured after a moment of tense silence.

She merely nodded, locking eyes with him for a brief second. “Karrie will need your support now, as she feels her friend hates her. Millie will come around but they are young and it takes time.” She sighed, closing her eyes and running a hand through her hair. She had so much to do, always so much to do, and she still had to work with Harry this evening. Her boys needed her as well and she had plans to work with them on meditation. She flinched when a hand rested on her shoulder, gray eyes flying open to meet warm brown. The gentle comfort of his magic on hers made her relax and she leaned into the healer, feeling Tim's arms encircle her as they had so often in the past. She heard the floo and knew that her brother had left, to give her privacy and time. Perhaps she just needed a bit of time.

-x-

Harry gazed around in wonder, eyes darting all around the office. He hadn't been in the Headmistress' office before and it was so much different than Dumbledore's had been. Much simpler, cleaner. There were still piles of papers on the desk, but they were neater, organized. The books of the shelves seemed to hold a purpose and there were no odd instruments or obscenely bright furnishings. It was just so much more inviting and less scary. Fawkes was still there as well, which helped make the office at least a little bit familiar. He sat in an armchair, kicking his feet, waiting on the Headmistress to return. He blinked when a door he never noticed before opened and she came out, carrying a leather pouch and followed closely by Tim, who was carrying a small wooden box. He knew she had wanted to talk to him about his freakishness, but why did she need a pouch? What was in it? Remus and Severus had been talking about some sort of tests, when they had thought he was in his room. He didn't want tests though, he would just fail and disappoint them. He was a freak, after all, he couldn't do anything right.

“Relax, Harry.” Alexis murmured, dropping her bag on the desk. The nervousness was just rolling off the child. “Tim and I just want to talk to you about your magic and see what level you are currently at.” She stated calmly, glancing at the older man. He was taking a handful of shrunken boxes out of the one he carried, quickly restoring them to size. They were still on the small side, but now about the size of her palm, just big enough for the child to need two hands to hold them. They needed to see where his magic was at and how much control he actually had; although she thought that if the incident earlier was an indication, he couldn't have too much control just yet.

“So tell me, Harry. What do you know about magic?” Tim questioned, dropping causally into a chair. The boy squirmed but didn't look at either of them. “There is no wrong answer, Harry. We are genuinely curious about your knowledge and understanding of magic.”

Harry swung his feet, tilting his head slightly. What did he know about magic? Apparently, not very much. “I know that not all magic requires a wand and cores and stuff.” He shrugged finally.

Alexis fought back a snort at the typical preteen speech. “Cores and stuff? Do you mean core stability and maturity, which I tried to explain to you this morning?” She asked, raising an eyebrow at the child's mere nod. She sighed, deciding to use another tactic, as this wasn't helping either of them. “Where does magic come from, child?”She remembered when Tim had asked her that question, when she was about sixteen. She had sneered at him and snapped the only answer she knew.

He scowled, shrugging. Did she think he was stupid? He knew he was a freak but he wasn't stupid! “From my core.” He stated dryly, arching an eyebrow at her in imitation of one of his guardians.

“You draw your magic up through your core, yes. But that is not the only place magic is. Magic is not just inside you child. It surrounds us and is in everything, even the smallest blade of grass contains its own bit of magic. Magic is not a thing to be used as you please and disregarded when you are through with it. It is a being, a living, breathing sentient being. It ebbs and flows, moving in ways that the majority of us still do not completely understand.” Tim replied, smirking when the child stared at him like he was crazy. Perhaps he was but not about this. He knew that come September, Alexis was bringing back a class on old magic to Hogwarts so that the children, especially the muggleborn and raised, would understand magic better. Magic was a complex, complicated being; there was no simple explanation for or about it.

Harry scrunched up his face in confusion, glancing at the healer. He knew magic was alive, sort of, but he didn't know that it was in everything. Nor that it was sentient. Although...”What does sentient mean?” He questioned quietly, blinking at the unfamiliar word.

“The ability to feel and understand things. Magic does not form concrete thoughts, in the way that we would imagine, but it does feel. It is very much alive and it has the ability to offer itself when it perceives itself to be needed.” Alexis explained, watching the child causally. She knew that it was a lot to take in, a lot to understand. Harry was still young,even in the non-magical community he would be considered a child.

“Magic is not as simple as waving a wand and something happening. There has to be intent and purpose. There also has to be control. The way we use magic is a bit different than most typical magicals, at least here. In the Americas, especially South America, magic is often channeled as we do. We can change a spell or strand of magic, alter its very nature, if we want to. We can see and sense magic, push our magic through another's body to reverse a spell without knowing what spell it is. The way we use magic is different but the same. It also costs more to use magic that way, without restrain. It drains your core faster and is one of the reasons that very few people would use such magic all the time. Without control, magic, like all things, is dangerous. Our magic especially. Your magic.” Tim added briskly. It was extremely important that the child understood the control was necessary, otherwise they could have a disaster on their hands. If the child didn't understand, hopefully he would soon. It was time to start testing him, to see where they stood so far. “Do you understand, Harry?”

He hesitated, green eyes narrowing for a moment. He did understand, sort of. His magic was different, he was a freak. And his magic was bad, he could hurt someone with it. But all magic was dangerous, wasn't that what Tim was saying? So maybe his magic wasn't bad. Maybe he just had to learn it better. Some of the things the Healer described sounded cool, so maybe it wouldn't be so bad. He hoped. “Yes sir.”

Alexis smirked, reaching into her bag. She pulled out three small stones, setting them in front of the child. “Good. Now let's see where you are. Your core is starting to stabilize, so these new abilities of yours are appearing, and will grow as your core matures. We do need to know how far along they are; so we know what to teach you.” She tapped each stone once, catching the child's eyes. “ What I want you to do, Harry, is to close your eyes. Do not try to see the magic, but feel for it.” She instructed, raising an eyebrow when the child merely stared at her.

He stopped squinting at the stones, biting his lip for a moment before hesitantly closing his eyes. That lasted for all of a second before they flew open again. He couldn't do it! It wasn't that he didn't trust the Headmistress and Tim, he did, but he was so used to watching everything and he couldn't see a fist coming if his eyes were closed! Surely she knew that!

“You are safe here Harry. Neither of us will harm you, nor will we let any harm come to you. Take a deep breath in. Good, now release it child. Again.” She murmured briskly, crouching beside the child's chair. “Good boy. You are safe. You can do this. Whenever you are ready, Harry. Just try child, we will be right here and nothing will harm you. I promise.” She encouraged as the boy finally seem to calm down. The small nod was also a good sign.

Harry took a deep breath, slowly attempting to close his eyes again. He waited tensely for a few long moments, before slowly relax. He instinctively reached his hand out to the stones, holding it above each one for at least a minute before moving to the next. He frowned, moving his hand back over the middle one, furrowing his brow. Either he was doing it wrong, or there was no magic in this stone. Wait...there was a faint trace of brownish magic, that's what it looked like in his mind's eye, but not the vibrant magic from the first stone nor the slightly less but more chaotic feel of magic from the last stone. “This one has less magic?” He questioned, picking up the round, smooth stone.

Alexis smirked at Tim, he had said that the child probably wouldn't feel the subtleties in the Obsidian. Clearly, she had been right in this case. The child could obviously feel them, even if he was not yet fully seeing magic but in flickers. “Yes, very good. What of the other two, Harry?”

He set the stone down, reaching for the first one. He held it for a moment, feeling it warm his palm. “It has a lot of magic in it, different magics. It absorbs energy?” He guessed, rubbing the small orb for a moment. It tickled his hand and the magic in it seemed to like him.

“Good. And last?”

He hesitated after setting the other stone down. He really didn't want to touch this one but perhaps he didn't have to. It felt so full and angry. But it didn't seem to have as much magic in it. “I don't know. It feels...weird. Like it has angry magic in it and like it is conflicted. But a stone can't be conflicted.” He muttered, not touching it at all.

She blinked, arching a brow at the child's observation. Most children stated that it had less magic than the first but more than the second and just left it at that. But Harry noticed the emotions betrayed by the magic. Bloodstone was a grounding stone, after all. It held many negative emotions and feelings from those who just needed to empty their minds and clear their energies. “Good, Harry. Very good. You can open your eyes now.” She instructed quietly, picking up the Obsidian. The boy did as he was told, watching her wearily for a moment. “This is the first one you touch, yes? It is called obsidian. Although it can hold magic and many use it as a grounding stone, it best helps by using its own magic.” She informed, slipping the stone back into the pouch carefully. “This one is an Opal, they can hold a lot of magical energy, so that a drained wizard can draw on them in a moment of need.” She dropped the opal into the bag, a bit less carefully, before picking up the bloodstone.

“What is that one, Professor?” Harry questioned, eyeing the angry stone warily.

Alexis held the Bloodstone for a moment before giving it over to Tim's outstretched palm. He grimaced when the stone 'bit' him, studying the energy of it for a moment before handing it back. “When was the last time you cleansed that, Alexis?” He inquired raising an eyebrow at the younger woman.

She merely shrugged, slipping the stone back into the pouch. “It is Bloodstone, Harry. Can you tell me why you didn't want to touch that one?” She questioned, curious as to what the child would say.

Harry hesitated for a moment, frowning slightly. Bloodstone? But it was green and red, not blood red. “It just felt weird. Different than the other two, angry. Like it might hurt me.” He explained finally, grimacing. His answer didn't really make sense, not to him anyway. After all, how could a stone be angry? Even if it was alive. The other stones didn't feel that way, not at all. It was just a bit odd. The headmistress nodded and looked pleased, so perhaps that was the right answer even if it was a confusing one.

“Alright, Harry. I have a different test for you, one where I do want you to look at the magic.” Tim remarked, picking up one of the smaller cubes. The cube was laced with different strands of magic, knotted together. The task was quite simple, really. “What you have to do is look for the magic and nudge the strands back into their lines. You are not trying to break the magic or get through it, but to straighten it.” He explained, offering the cube to the child. He had developed these cubes, nearly toys, for two purposes. Testing and training teenagers with this kind of magic, as well as testing their control, and preventing them from messing with wards or spells by giving them a task to work out in their spare time. Once Alexis had learned control, she had flown through these cubes. Harry probably would not. His magic was not fully developed yet; he would probably only work on the lower level cubes, the ones he had brought with him, for the next year or so. Because even if he could get through them, his core was not mature enough to move to higher levels without the fear of damaging it, not just yet.

He took what looked like a child's block, staring at it for several minutes. He could not completely see the magic but he could get a sense of where it was. He just wasn't sure how to straighten it. How did he make the magic leave its clumps and knots? Harry hesitated, running his fingers over the block once more. He took a deep breath and pushed at two twisted strands with his own magic, watching is amazement as they slowly wiggled into separate paths. Encouraged now, he kept pushing his magic at the lines, frowning when some of the magic would tangle back together.

It took the child nearly twenty minutes and she could see the exhaustion rolling off of him now. If nothing else, he would at least stay in his bed tonight. Watching him, she could easily see where his weakness was. His strength was good, although sometimes he shoved the magic, rather than gently pulling and pushing at it, but his control was awful. For every bit he straighten, another path twisted. Control of himself and his magic would have to be the very first thing they taught him. Otherwise..

Harry grimaced, shoving at the block one last time. It straighten perfectly and then he heard a click. He blinked, looking down at the top of the box as a hinge appeared and it swung open. Inside the small block was a chocolate frog. He picked it up slowly, glancing questioningly toward Tim.

“Did I not mention that these cubes held secrets inside them? No? The treats inside are for those who can open them to claim. So yes, Harry, you may have it. Though do try to not consume it right before bed.” Tim drawled, hiding a smirk behind his hand. The gobsmacked look on the child's face when the cube had opened was priceless. “There are levels to these cubes, the hardest of which you will not attempt until your core has matured. Each holds a different prize inside: trinkets, candy, toys...I find the reward inside makes them so much more enticing to work with.” He had designed them to keep children interested, after all. What better way to interest a child than to hide treats inside them?

Alexis sighed, watching the child quietly for a long moment. “I believe that shall suffice tonight. Well done, Harry. We will set up a training schedule for you tomorrow.” She dismissed quietly, smiling softly at the child. He had done well, for his first time and for his fear of them. Hopefully, he would learn that he was safe there, but she knew that would be an uphill fight.

Harry closed his hand around the chocolate frog box, handing the block back to Tim. He was still a bit confused, because why would they want to reward a freak like him? But perhaps he wasn't such a freak, anymore. Perhaps he was a little bit lesser of a freak now. He didn't know. What he did know was that he wanted to spend the rest of the evening with Remus and Severus, even if they wouldn't want to keep him forever. Might as well enjoy it while it lasted. He hesitated for a moment, glancing at the floo before looking back at her. At the Headmistress' nod, he grabbed a handful of powder and vanished back to his home, however temporary it might be.

“That went well.” Tim remarked, turning to face the younger woman. “Now, you have put off this discussion long enough.” He folded his arms, leaning back to observe the Headmistress. Headmistress she might be but she needed to learn to accept help. He thought they had gotten through this years before, but clearly not.

She sighed, turning away from him and starting to shuffle the papers on her desk. “I have work to do, Tim.” She murmured.

“There will always be work to do.”

Alexis grimaced, biting her lip. “I'm alright.”

He raised an eyebrow at her, shaking his head. She was still turned away from him, still distancing herself from him. “You are not.”

“Geht weg!” She snarled, spinning around to glare at him. She didn't want to talk about it, couldn't he just leave it well enough alone?!

He blinked, frowning at the young woman for several moments of tense silence. She did _not_ just tell him to go away. “Do not use that tone with me. I am getting very tired of your attitude, Alexis. You seem to forget that you are not too old to go over my knee.” He warned softly, tone dangerous.

She shivered, drawing back from him. It had been quite a few years since he had actually followed through on that threat but she didn't doubt him. But she wasn't a child anymore. She was fine, she would be fine, if they would all just back off. She had work to do and children to care for, she didn't need this right now. “I'm not a child, Tim.” She stated dryly, looking away from him.

“No? Then stop acting like one.” He snapped, turning and pacing the room for a moment. He took a deep breath, allowing himself to calm down a bit. She was a child still, his child. Filius' child. She was barely old enough to enter legal contracts in the magical world without a cosigner. She didn't have to do this alone. She had family, why couldn't she just accept that? He knew why, of course. Because she had so rarely had it before, she wasn't used to asking for support and help from others, although he had thought that they had made much progress over the years. “Damn it, Alexis. Who will put you back together when you fall apart, if not us? Talk to me. Let me help you.” He growled exasperated, finally turning back to her.

“I won't fall. I can't.” She muttered, shaking her head. She wouldn't fall apart, not if she could help it. But a breakdown was becoming inevitable, the longer she held it all in. She knew that. She wasn't an idiot and she was a healer, after all, so she did recognize the signs in herself. But healers really were the worst patients.

“Why? What's so different that you won't fall apart this time?” Tim questioned, running a hand through his hair wearily.

“The children.” She whispered, biting her lip.

Ah. But that made sense, then. She didn't want the children to see her as less than whole. She wanted to be there for them, completely, without any thought to her own well-being. He understood that quite well. “Then let me help you. You are not alone, Alexis.” He responded quietly, moving toward her slowly.

“Retten..” She grimaced, closing her eyes and turning away from him once more. She knew, in actuality, that she wasn't alright. But she had to be alright, she had children that depended on her after all. She flinched when a hand gently rested on her shoulder, turning and burying her face in his shoulder for the second time that evening.

It hadn't occurred to him, but perhaps she needed time to grieve the damn man properly. Perhaps Retten's death had reawaken memories from her childhood, memories that they would have to work through soon. But maybe something else was necessary first. “He would have wanted you to be happy, Alexis. To live your life and let go. Perhaps we should hold a small ritual for him, to help him move on? Would that help?” He offered quietly, hugging her to him tightly. She did not often let people hold her anymore, but he knew she still needed that comfort just as much as her young charges did.

She turned gray eyes, shining with unshed tears, up to meet his, hesitating for only a moment. “That would, yes. Who?” She bit back a sigh, relaxing into the comfort of his magic. She was tired, exhausted. And she knew he had questions, as he was one of the best mindhealers in the world; she knew he wouldn't give up easily, even if he let it go for now. He would keep pushing, until she finally exploded at him and let it all out. She had done it before, of course, and she always did feel better afterwards, but she needed to be whole, she couldn't afford to just let her emotions and thoughts control her, not right now. Not with so much still at stake, so many things to get settled and working.

“Just family.” He shrugged, chuckling at her glare.

She snorted, shaking her head. “You said _small_.” She reminded dryly.

Tim nodded solemnly, his eyes twinkling with a hidden smile. “Of course. The adult members of the family. So let's see, that would be Severus, Remus, Lucius, Narcissa, Eric and me. And of course, Filius. Couldn't have a family ritual without your papa.” He teased lightly, loosening his grasp but not quite letting her escape the comfort just yet.

She laughed, smiling despite herself. “Are you jealous?” She teased back, smirking at him.

“Of course not. I was your guardian for long enough, thanks all the same.” He intoned before smirking at her. She merely huffed at him, sticking her tongue out.

“Tomorrow evening, then?” She remarked, finally pulling away from him.

He merely nodded, watching her for a long moment. “I will arrange it. Now, you need dinner and sleep.” He ordered, turning stern once more. She rolled her eyes at him but nodded, moving into her quarters and beckoning to him. He glanced around the office for a moment, packing up his play cubes and turning to follow her. She would be alright. It would take time, but eventually they would get there. He was sure of it.


	19. To Feel

Bain grunted, pulling a comb through his hair as he walked into the living room. He paused in the doorway, frowning at the pair of adults sitting on the floor. It was just before eight in the morning, the furniture had all been pushed back and the younger two boys were sitting in the kitchen, watching the pair with fascination. His guardian and his Master were sitting cross-legged on the bare floor, eyes closed, facing each other and surrounded by a barely visible dome of light. Clearly, they weren't meditating. Well, they could be but he doubted it. He moved carefully around the edges of the circle, dropping into a chair at the table next to Teddy. He raised an eyebrow at the younger boy's breakfast, shaking his head. “Is that good for you?” He questioned, drawing both boys attention to him.

Teddy shrugged. He had checked his blood sugar after he had gotten dressed and it had been low but good enough for him. He had also taken the nasty potion when Minzi had popped in with them and he had asked the elf for some cereal. She had supplied a bounty of boxes for him, so he should be able to eat them. The sugary cereal he was eating didn't have nearly as much sugar in it as he wanted but it did have dried fruit, so that was alright. “Minzi said it was fine.” He drawled, turning his eyes back to observing his professor. That was old magic, what she was doing, and it was fascinating.

Bain nodded, glancing at the other boy. Elijah was not eating but scribbling away at a piece of parchment, probably his punishment essay. His own was already finished, since he had stayed up late to do so. “Did you eat, Elijah?” He inquired, pouring his own bowl of cereal, although a healthier, non-sugary one.

He shrugged, not bothering to look up from the letter he was writing. He had finished his essay the night before, this was a more...personal topic. For a friend. A very cute friend who didn't realize he had...feelings. He growled under his breath, shaking his head. “Not hungry.” He mumbled, moving his arm a bit to shield his writing from view.

The red-head raised an eyebrow at the younger boy, glancing toward the paper. “Try a little something, at least.” He suggested quietly, watching the boy scribble away. His only response was a shrug. Bain shook his head, turning back to watch the youngest boy. The thirteen year old was automatically eating, although eating much less than other boys his age would, eyes focused on the scene in the living room. The floo sounded, drawing his attention away from the two adults and to an unhappy healer.

“How long have they been like this?” Tim asked quietly, going into the kitchen and sitting with the boys. He tilted his head slightly, watching the flow of magic. They should have informed him that they were going to redo the wards today, if for nothing else than in case something went wrong.

“Don't know.” Bain merely shrugged, turning away from the pair and back to his breakfast.

Tim sighed softly, glancing at the three teenagers. He studied each of them in turn, stopping on Elijah. “Have you eaten, Elijah?” He questioned causally, glancing at Teddy's bowl of sugary cereal. At least it wasn't the worst cereal the boy could eat. He filled a glass with milk and set it in front of the child, raising an eyebrow when Teddy scowled at him.

Teddy huffed, glaring at the glass before taking a very small sip of it. He hated milk. It tasted horrible and it had often been bad when he was a child, often made him sick. The milk here was different and tasted cleaner, but he still hated it.

“Drink that and you can have juice, Teddy. Your body needs the calcium and vitamin D in milk, unless you'd rather eat beef liver?” He stated briskly, biting back a smile when the child nearly gulped the milk down. “Slowly please.” He ordered, turning to Elijah once more. The middle teen was still ignoring him, still writing what appeared to be a letter. “Elijah?”

He grimaced and gave a slight nod, not even bothering to look. It didn't matter whether he had ate or not, he didn't want food. He was busy, couldn't they all just leave him alone?

Bain snorted, shaking his head. The younger boy had either lied to him, which he doubted, or was lying to Tim. He opened his mouth to object but stopped at Tim's gaze. The older man shook his head, turning intense brown eyes back to the younger boy. He was quite glad it was not him that the man was looking at like that.

Elijah glanced up at the tense silence, feeling eyes on him. Teddy gave him a brief look of confusion and Bain had a light of disapproval in his eyes. But that was nothing when compared to the healer. The older man merely narrowed his eyes, boring into him with such intensity that he squirmed. Why did he even care? It wasn't like he skipped meals often, he just didn't want to eat. Maybe if he was more built, toner, skinnier... maybe then his friend would like him? He had more important things to do besides eat. Ugh. “Sir?” He growled finally, meeting the man's gaze. Either he tell him what he wanted or he go away, Elijah didn't really care which. He just wanted to perfect this simple note.

“I am not fond of being lied to, Elijah.” He drawled dangerously. The child's body language, as well as the other two teenagers responses, had given him away. Tim was no fool, he had taken care of many children. He could tell when he was being lied to quite easily. Why the child would try to deceive him over something as simple as food was...worrying. Perhaps there was something else going on in the boy's head? “If you are truly not hungry, then tell me. Do not lie to me about it.” He added quietly, setting a nutrition supplement vial in front of the child. It was a different potion than the one being spiked in the juice throughout Hogwarts, acting as more of a meal replacement than anything else. There was always going to be one child or another who didn't feel like eating or who had woken up with a fussy stomach or, worse, was in the depths of an eating disorder and could not force themselves to eat that meal.

Elijah flushed, looking away. He fingered the vial for a moment before finally giving in and draining the potion. He blinked, tilting his head slightly. It wasn't as nasty as he had thought it would be, it actually tasted like strawberries. Huh.

Tim gave a slight nod of approval before turning toward the two stirring young mages. “Minzi.” He called softly, smiling at the elf when she popped in.

“Yes, Master Tim?” Minzi questioned, casting a small frown at the mess the middle child was making with his ink. A snap of her fingers and the ink stain vanished from the table. “Be more carefuls, young master!” She scolded gently, turning back to the healer.

“I need two protein-enriched plates if you please, as well as whatever you deem good for myself.” Tim requested, hiding a smile as Elijah scowled. He glanced toward the pair once more, knowing that she would understand his meaning.

“Very well, Master Tim.” Minzi nodded popping away. A plate popped in front of him a moment later, followed by two plates loaded with eggs and bacon under a stasis charm. It would keep until the two young professors managed to finish.

Alexis groaned, stretching taunt muscles and stiff joints. It had taken the better part of three hours for them to even start the process of updating and changing the wards. They would have to keep working on them, as the spell-weaving took time and they were the only ones who could actually change the castle's wards. Of course, they could bring in a third person, someone who could loan their magic and strength while one of them held the wards and the other wove in the new ones. While she wove in the new ones. Weaving magic was a specialty of hers, something that came naturally and easily but it was different on this magnitude. For they couldn't remove any of the old wards, except for the few harmful ones that really weren't essential, without having new wards in place. To do so would leave the castle vulnerable and the students in danger. She took the hand that was offered to her, standing stiffly for a moment and allowing her bones to crack and pop.

“Next time, we use pillows.” Severus grumbled, stretching like a cat for a moment. He took her hand, moving toward the edge of the circle they had cast. They made it together and so they must remove it, together. He raised his free hand toward the wall of light that surrounded them, closing his eyes for a brief moment as she did the same. Together, they moved counter clockwise once, letting the magic flow through them. On the second rotation he started the chant that they both knew so well. “We cast this circle three times round, now thrice around we go once more.”

“Magic forged here kept within, these workings sound and solidly stand.” Alexis murmured, picking up instantly where he left off. They worked well together, flawlessly. On the third circuit they stopped, their linked hands now stretched toward the dome of energy surrounding them. “We part this circle, all is done.”

“Magic forged by Moon and Sun. All called here, thanks to thee.” He added quietly, smiling as the warmth of the magic filled him for a moment.

“To go in peace, Blessed Be.” She grinned, watching the magic absorb through them and back into the earth from which it had come.

“So mote it be!” They finished together, finally dropping each others hands. He loved working magic with her; if nothing else proved that they were siblings, even if not in blood, their ability to do workings together did. Few were as attuned to each other as they were. He could only work magic like that with a few other people and Alexis was much the same way. He let the magic fill him for a moment before letting the warmth go and turning toward the kitchen. He had thought he had felt Tim's presence; clearly, he was right.

“Come, eat.” Tim called, watching the pair for a moment before turning back to the teenager beside him. Bain was an interesting conversationalist, when the boy chose to be.

Alexis groaned, stalking stiffly toward the table and dropping gracelessly into a chair. She stared at the plate in front of her, more food than she was normally comfortable with eating, before falling upon it with gusto. Working with the school's magic like that made her hungry but not tired. Clearly, it also made Severus hungry. After devouring most of the plate, she slowed down, turning her eyes to her boys. Teddy had bags under his eyes, as always and Bain was eating like a teenage boy but Elijah...She paused, raising an eyebrow at her middle child. An empty vial sat in front of him and he was busily scribbling away but it didn't look like an assignment. Something to keep an eye on then, if the child wasn't eating. At least two of the boys would be in her quarters today, so she wouldn't have to worry about them getting into any more trouble.

-x-

“Run!” He giggled, dashing down the corridor, knowing that his friends would be right behind him. They weren't doing anything wrong really, just getting a bit of revenge. Not that anyone would find out, of course. Harry grinned, skidding to a stop in an old classroom.

“That was wicked.” Teddy smirked, dropping casually onto the floor. They had claimed this classroom that last time they managed to go exploring, not that it happened a lot. The adults were quite good at keeping an eye on them; too good. But they weren't babies and they didn't need to be watched constantly. The itching powder they had blown up on Derek would hopefully teach the older boy that the younger teens were not to be messed with, not that the boy saw it was them. No, they had been careful. After all, none of them wanted to be beaten up by the overgrown bully.

Karrie hesitated, sitting slowly on the floor. Something had felt off; the way Derek had screamed...it had sounded like the older boy had been in pain. But it was an itching powder, it couldn't do no real harm. Could it? She grimaced, forcing a smile that didn't quite meet her eyes as she turned back to the boys. It made her feel unsettled but there wasn't anything she could do, not really. Besides, the boy was a bully, so he deserved it. Right? But then...how did that make them any better than their parents, even if it was just a simple prank? If it _had_ hurt him. Wasn't the one rule Teddy had told them, of all magic, to do no harm? She didn't know.

-x-

Remus scowled darkly, carrying the now quiet teenager up to the hospital wing. Unlike Harry and Karrie, he had to use a featherlight spell to carry this boy but that mattered not. Not right now. From what he had seen, when he had come across the child, it was clearly a prank gone wrong. Knowing that the boy was a bully, his pranksters probably didn't stick around long enough to see the results of their mischief. Thankfully, he had heard the child screaming and got to him as fast as he could. And he had been able to neutralize most of the effects. But the child was clearly allergic to the prank item, itching powder perhaps, or to the potion he had seen splashed on the floor. He had siphoned a bit of it into a vial and hopefully the new healer Alexis had hired could figure out what was hurting this child. This was beyond what he was comfortable with healing, although he was quite adequate at healing. But he did not have the knowledge of what the child reacted to, to find out how to help him. “Shh child. Master Eric should be able to sort you out.” He soothed, frowning as the boy started to whimper again. But they were there now, at the infirmary. He sat the child gently on a bed, sharp eyes watching as the healer swarmed over and quickly set to work. He hoped with all his might that his children had not been behind this, although they didn't really seem the type to pull pranks. The potion however...it seemed like something one of the three smart children could have done. They were brilliant, the lot of them, but scarily so. Much like Lily and Severus had been as children. Much as Alexis still was. Damn. He'd have to inform her and he was not looking forward to that.

-x-

She stared out the window, eyes distant. Her body was tense, her hands clenched together behind her back. She didn't even turn when the floo went off, having expected it. Remus had informed her of the child he had found, which had not made her happy. So she was expecting the healer who stepped into her office. “Master Eric.” She greeted dryly, watching a group of teenagers chase each other near the lake.

“He'll be alright, Alexis. It was an allergic reaction to a potion, the prank product merely exaggerated his condition.” Eric sighed, leaning against a stretch of wall, watching the young woman for a long moment. She merely nodded, still not turning to face him. Her back was straight, her hands tightly clenched, shoulders hunched. He moved silently toward her, hesitating for a brief moment before resting brown calloused hands on her shoulders. He ignored the flinch for the moment, focusing instead on gently massaging the tense shoulders of the Headmistress. “Relax, Alexis. Just relax.” He murmured, ignoring her attempt to pull away.

“I am fine, Master Eric.” She growled, glaring at the window. She was just a bit stressed and it didn't help when one of her students was severely injured. Especially as a _prank._ But she had a feeling it wasn't just a prank. Someone had probably gotten tired of being bullied and enacted their own form of revenge, not suspecting that the boy might have a severe reaction to that revenge.

He chuckled, shaking his head. “If you believe this is _fine_ , I would hate to see bad.” He teased, hazel eyes gleaming with humour. “Enough with this _Master_ Eric, nonsense. First Remus, and then you. It makes a man feel old!”

She grinned, finally turning to face him. “But you are old, Eric.” She smirked at him, squeaking when he pulled her into a strong hug before stepping back and eyeing her.

“Fifty is not old.” He protested with a smile, taking her in for a moment. It was the first time he got a good look at the new headmistress, although he would always remember her as the child Tim had brought home. That first day when she was terrified of them and refusing to speak...he still remembered that girl. When she had extended the opportunity to be head healer of Hogwarts, he had taken it. It was a step down for him and while he was a Master Pediatric Healer, working privately for many wizarding families and heading the children's hospital, he was actually quite glad for this change. Less bureaucratic duties and more actual healing. Heading a hospital meant that he rubbed elbows with donors and scheduled staff but he had done little with the children and they were the reason he had started healing in the first place. It also placed him back with his friend...his lover. And he worked well with Tim, knowing both the man's strengths and his weaknesses. “You look terrible.” He added quietly, raising an eyebrow at her.

She shrugged, summoning Derek's file with a twitch of her fingers. “I've been informed. What potion is he allergic to?” She inquired, scanning through the newest medical scan on the young bully.

“An explosive potion, surprisingly. My guess is that the child involved poured the potion on the floor and tossed the powder once Derek came into view. The powder would have activated the potion, causing it to explode on the boy and coating him with the powder. Severus identified it as a potion that is used to blow down doors or blow up small patches of rock. Something used by the auror corps, but not something a child should have. Simple enough to make but only if you have access to the ingredients.” He sighed, shaking his head. It was baffling, to be sure. He would also have to do a test with the child, to see which ingredients it was that he reacted to. Although most of the ingredients were specific to this potion, some, the neutralizing agents, were used in other potions. It would not do for the child to have an reaction to a healing potion.

“I take it there is no way to tell who did this.” She murmured, already expecting a negative. After all, the child had spilled the potion on the floor, there wouldn't be a way to track it. Hopefully, this would be the only bit of revenge that this child enacted; she didn't need another bully on her hands, one was already too many.

He chuckled suddenly, running through the list of ingredients in his mind. “If the child did not make the potion, no. But if the child made the potion, then for up to a day you should be able to tell. One of the ingredients reacts with citrus acid and will turn their hands blue. I'll let you know if any blue-handed children show up to the infirmary.”

She grunted, shaking her head. It would be easy to have the children make their own lemonade, although she could narrow the list of suspect children down quite easily. And she had an odd feeling that it was probably one of her children that did this. She couldn't blame them for wanting revenge on the boy but all of the children needed to learn that revenge was not the answer. Although, that was a lesson quite a few adults needed as well. She turned back to the papers on her desk, sighing softly. Always so much work to be done and never enough time.

“Alexis...” He hesitated for a moment, waiting until she had looked back up at him. All she could do was toss him out, after all. No worse than her tantrums as a teenager, not that she was much more than a teenager now. “If you wish to speak about-”

“I don't.”She snarled, eyes steely gray. “If that is all, Eric?” She dismissed, turning away from him, eyes focused unseeingly on the file in her hands.

“Of course.” He murmured, reaching toward her for a moment before stopping. It would be futile to try, at least right now. She would come to them when she was ready and not before.

She waited until the door clicked shut, raising the wards over her office and spun around. Energy flew from her hands, smashing into one of the chairs. She flung her hand out again, scorching the wall, before collapsing in her chair and closing her eyes against the tears that threatened to fall. She flinched at the light weight that landed on her shoulder, before reaching up to stroke the feathers of the phoenix. She took a deep breath, listening to the soft thrills from the bird. “Thanks Fawkes. I'm fine now.”She whispered, relaxing slightly and turning back to her work. The phoenix, however, stayed on her shoulder, to watch over her as she worked.

-x-

“Teddy...why is your hand blue?” Charlie questioned, raising an eyebrow at the boy. He offered the child a clean shirt, shaking his head. The child was sticky and his clothes wet, which was why he had taken him back to the camp rooms, to help him get cleaned up. Someone had knocked into the boy and his glass of juice spilled all over him. It was an accident, to be fair, and the child hadn't acted upset at all. It did probably help that the one to knock into him had been one of the younger children.

Teddy grimaced, wiping his hands on the wet cloth again. Only one of them was blue, which didn't make sense at all. Maybe the juice had reacted with something on his hand? “Don't know.” He shrugged, hesitating for a moment before pulling his drenched shirt over his head and quickly accepting the clean one from Charlie. As least the older man wouldn't gawp at his scars, like some of the other boys had.

Charlie sighed, shifting through the child's dresser in search of a pair of trousers, or even shorts at this point. Clearly the child, like many of the children at the camp, did not have adequate enough clothing. He knew the boy tended to wear the same trousers over and over again, but he had thought that he was just being a preteen. After all, he had done much the same at that age. But then, he remembered why he had done that when he was younger, probably for the same reason that many of his boys did. He groaned, shaking his head briefly. The only trousers the child had were shoved in the drawer and dirty; the only pair of shorts was ripped. He grimaced, shifting through the dirty clothes for the moment. No wonder the child had nothing clean to wear, if he was hoarding his clothes in his drawers. And he probably wasn't the only child doing so. He could foresee laundry duty in his future; this evening most likely. But he knew he wouldn't be alone in it, once he mentioned it to the other counselors. The lot of them would probably be washing and mending clothing tonight. The elves could do it, of course, but somehow he thought the children would be more likely to go for it if they did it. Many were muggleborn or raised, after all, and others guarded their possessions closely; they probably feared that the elves would give someone else their clothes by accident and when they only had three pairs of trousers...that was a big fear. “We will have to manage with just a cleaning spell for now, Teddy. If you like, I will make sure your clothes get cleaned and back to you tonight.” He offered, carefully pulling out his wand. The child flinched but nodded, giving his consent to the spell. A simple swish and a muttered word later, the boy's trousers were dried and, hopefully, no longer sticky.

Teddy grimaced briefly, hating the feeling of the spell even if it was a bit ticklish. He knew his clothes were a mess but he also knew he wasn't the only one. Most of the boys stuck their clothes back in their dressers; only a few used the hampers that allowed the elves to wash their clothes. It wasn't that he didn't trust the elves, he did, he just...they were his clothes. His. And he didn't have very much that belonged to him anymore. Not after his father had burned it all. He glanced at his hand again, frowning at it. He also felt...guilty, for what they had done earlier. Not because Derek hadn't deserved it, he had; but because he felt like it made them bad now, like Derek. And he didn't want to be mean like Derek; he didn't want to become his father. He'd die first. “Charlie?” He petitioned quietly, glancing uneasily at the older man for a moment. He liked Charlie; more importantly, he trusted Charlie.

He turned to fully face the child, furrowing his brow in concern at the boy's tone. “What's up, Teddy?”

“What makes a person bad?” He questioned softly, brown eyes staring into blue for a long moment.

Charlie blinked, not having expected that question, _at all_. The young teen sounded so young when he phrased it like that, sounded so much like the child he was. He crouched down to be on eye level with the child, thinking it over for a moment. He needed some clarification if he was to answer properly and he did intend to answer properly. “What do you mean, Teddy? What do you mean by bad?” He inquired softly, making sure to keep eye contact with the boy. It was something they had been working on with all of the children in the 'E' group, although it was a habit he had to break himself.

“What makes a person bad?” He asked again, shaking his head. “What actions makes them a bad person?” Teddy sighed, looking away.

“It is our choices that define us, not our actions. Hurting someone, be it with words or fists or magic, is not very good. Those who feel remorse and guilt over the harm they caused are quite different than those who don't. No one is inherently bad nor inherently good. We are a blank slate, shaped by our actions, the way we are taught, our conscience, and, most importantly, our choices.” He explained softly, hoping the child would understand him. “Does this have anything to do with why your hand is blue?”He added dryly, raising an eyebrow at the teen.

“It might. Choosing to hurt someone makes me a bad person, right?” Teddy grimaced, biting his lip. His father had always told him how bad he was, how much of a freak he was. Maybe it was true.

“No. Your actions might have been bad, Teddy, but that doesn't automatically make you bad. The fact that we are even having this conversation shows that you aren't. Tell me what happened.” Charlie ordered briskly, although he could wager a guess that it had something to do with the state Derek was in.

“We just meant to prank him, to get a little...revenge, since he is always being mean to us. I mean, me. He's always mean to me. But I didn't know it'd hurt him like that! It was only itching powder.” He confessed in a rush, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. Now the older man would reject him and he'd tell Alexis and she wouldn't want him either and-

“Teddy! Calm child. Deep breaths.” Charlie murmured, resting a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. He had seen enough of these reactions in the last few days to know that the child was either panicking or shutting down. He waited until the child's breathing had steadied for a moment, before taking a deep breath of his own. “I was bullied as a child, Teddy. I remember the want, the _need_ , to get back at my bully quite clearly. To want even just a bit of revenge and to hope that my bully never ever found out. Getting that revenge did not make me a bad person, nor did it make me a bully. My bully never found out that it was I who turned all his underwear pink or who coated his bed in itching powder. They were simple pranks, a bit of justice for all the wrong that he had done to me. They didn't harm him nor did you mean to harm Derek. I do not condone such behaviour, of course, but it doesn't make you a bad person. It just makes you human.” He reassured, smirking at the wide-eyed child. Granted, he had done much worse than he had told the boy, but there were some things that the child was too young to know.

He hesitated, biting his lip for a moment before nodding. He understood what the older boy was saying and he also realized that the man was not rejecting him either. Maybe Alexis would still want him then, if he wasn't a bad person.

“We have to be careful of our actions Teddy, so that we do not harm. Accidents and mistakes happen, because we are only human. I understand why you decide to pull a prank on Derek and I do know that you meant no real harm. That said, such acts do have consequences. We cannot just blindly try to exact revenge on those who harm us. Do you know the threefold law, Teddy?” He questioned finally, gently taking hold of the boy's chin and raising it so that their eyes met.

“Mind the threefold law you should, three times bad and three times good.” He chanted instantly, having learned that at the Malfoy's one summer. “It means that any bad you do comes back to you three times as much and any good is magnified three times. “ He added slowly, trying to avoid the older man's eyes.

“Exactly. Derek's bullying of you will come back on _him_. Revenge will make you feel better briefly but it will always get you into trouble. “Charlie replied sternly, biting back a sigh. He had learned that lesson that hard way and he would prefer it if his boys did not have to learn it that way. But he did understand exactly where the child was coming from, he just couldn't let it go without consequences. But a simple punishment should do, although he would have to tell Alexis that he had found the culprits. Because he was quite sure that Teddy had not been in this alone; after all, where one went, the other two tended to follow lately. “So, that said, I want lines from you. Let's try 'I will think about the consequences before acting'. Twenty-five, please. And you may pass the message on to Harry and Karrie as well. They too owe me lines. Tomorrow evening.” He ordered firmly, meeting brown eyes for a long moment before the child looked down.

“Yes sir.” Teddy muttered, grimacing slightly. Harry and Karrie would be mad at him; well, perhaps not. They had all felt a bit guilty when they found out what had happened to Derek. And twenty-five lines wasn't very much at all.

Charlie reached out, catching the boy before he could pull completely away. He ignored the barely suppressed flinch, opening his arms to the child. Teddy hesitated for a moment but he smiled softly at him, silently letting him know that all was alright now, and the child instantly fell into his arms. He hugged the little boy tight, shaking his head slightly. This child could never be bad, no matter what he thought.

-x-

“Relax.”

She grunted, eyes blankly gazing into the lake. They were on the other side of the lake, away from where any students would be; not that the students should be outside at this time of the evening. Most of them would be in their groups, or should be in their group meetings. She glanced at Tim, looking away quickly. The damn man seemed to know everything; although he had said nothing about the minimal damage to her office, he had given her _that_ look.

Filius sighed, gently touching the arm of his youngest child. “Alexis, calm.” He murmured softly, feeling the tension rolling off the younger woman. This would be a small ritual, nothing too intricate or elaborate but simple. He didn't have to look to know that their family stood around them, that each of them was watching his child with concern. If only she would just let them help her! But Alexis was stubborn, he knew that.

Tim stepped back from setting up the little white candles in a small, makeshift boat, turning to face the group behind him. “Alright, ready when you are Alexis.” He remarked quietly, moving to the other side of the young woman. Three candles, three mages. The rest of their group formed a tight semi-circle behind them, hands lifting to bring up the circle they had cast.

Grey eyes dimmed for a moment but she took a deep breath, letting her inner calm take over. She could do this, it was just a simple ritual after all. A ritual to help him, and her, move on. To deal with grief. She could do this. She stepped forward, lifting her hand up toward the the sky. It was slowly turning to night, but not quite there yet. “Goddess, we call upon you to help us set all to right. To guide Jakob Retten on. To help us move forward without regret. This we ask.” She murmured, her voice ringing clear around the clearing. She knelt, touching the middle candle with a finger. A flame sprang to it, making it glow. “This is for Jakob.” She whispered softly, biting her lip and stepping back into her place.

Filius stepped forward, moving to the candle on the right. He also lifted his hand toward the sky, his heart with the child behind him. “Goddess we ask you to guide us each along the path toward healing: our souls, our minds, our bodies.” He called out, leaning over and lighting his candle with a touch of his finger. “For Jakob.” He murmured softly, slipping back beside his child.

“Goddess we ask that you lend us your strength, those gathered here, so that we may support her through her grief. In love we are united, if not by blood. Strengthen this bond, if thy will, so that we may continue to grow stronger together, to love more, to learn more, and to lean on each other.” Tim stepped forward, crouching and lighting the last candle. He beckoned to Alexis and she stepped forward once more, gently pushing the little makeshift boat into the lake.

The boat stayed still for a moment, flames flickering. She kept her eyes locked on it, a tear slowly running down her face. “On with you, Retten.” She whispered, watching as the boat finally started to drift away. She took a breath, swiping at her face and standing fully. “If these requests are thy will, Goddess, then _so mote it be.”_ She finished strongly, stepping back as the chorus rang out around her. She turned to face her family, her eyes going to each of them for a moment. Some had turned to close the circle while Tim, Filius and Severus watched her. She could practically feel their concern. But she was alright, she would be alright. A smile flickered on her face when a brief warmth past through her body and she relaxed ever so slightly. She was loved by these people, and more if she counted the students who had taken to her. And she could feel that love. All would be well, one day. She might break before then but it was nothing she couldn't handle. And now to pry Lucius away from his wife...he had agreed to go the bank with her, after all. Was it her fault that the vault Retten had left for her was in Sweden? She grinned impishly, hugging Filius and then Tim before stalking toward the older man. After all, she needed to have some fun.

-x-

Remus swore softly, pricking his finger once more. He hated sewing, even though he had done it often when he was a bit younger. After all, being a werewolf meant that he often had trouble finding a job in the wizarding world and so he hadn't bought many robes and just kept patching the old robes up, instead investing in regular clothing for his non-magical job. And here he was, terrible sewing skills and all, sewing up a teenage girl's skirt surrounded by young men and women with mending of their own in their laps. Why he agreed to help the young counselors was currently beyond him. Although he had to admit, watching Severus deftly sew up a dress was worth it.

Charlie forced down a grin, finishing mending the last pair of Teddy's trousers. When he had told Jake and Mary his suspicions, they had immediately decided that clothing checks were in order. What they had found was shocking, but not really that surprising. Dirty, torn, too large or too small and inadequate clothing. Every child seemed to be lacking in something and over half of the children were hiding their dirty clothes. Every single member of the 'E' group and a good portion of the rest of the children. It had made him...angry. But that wasn't important now. And it was entertaining, to watch his colleagues attempt something as simple as sewing. Kate, who headed the younger girls, was a natural at it and had quickly became the one to take in and let out clothing. But Jake had never even threaded a needle before and Remus kept sticking himself. Severus had quickly regulated Jake to rotating the loads of clothes from the magical washer to the dryer and Mary had taken over hemming pants and skirts; so that left him and Remus to mend regular rips, while Severus easily fixed the largest of tears.

Jake grunted, carefully folding Milo's clothing and setting it in the designated basket. He glanced at the small grouping of them, sitting in the Castle's laundry facilities, doing duties that most magicals would frown upon. The elves had offered to do it, but the children were much more comfortable if the few people they trusted handled their precious belongings. Most of the counselors shied away from doing these chores, but not the five with him. Severus had readily agreed and dragged his partner along, and the other three...well, it would have been a losing battle to keep any them away. Kate had even, bless her, managed to pry the few stuffed animals away from some of the preteens, promising to wash them and return them by morning. She also had sewed up all the rips in the animals, adding the stuffing that the elves brought her to them. But she didn't change their appearances, even if one was missing a leg and another had no ears. Because the disfigured toys brought comfort and the children were attached to them just as they were. He turned back toward the pile of laundry waiting to be folded, his eyes stopping to rest on Charlie for a moment. The slightly younger man had been angry earlier, he had seen it clearly in his eyes. But he wouldn't speak to him or Mary about it, even if he had come to trust them. He could still see that anger, lesser now, pushed away, but it was there. And it would stay there until the younger man snapped. Hopefully, he would not snap near the children. That would be...disastrous.

Charlie growled softly, glaring at the jeans he was trying to sew. He was good at sewing, so why did he keep going through both sides of the too thin fabric? The child had torn out the knee of his jeans, he should easily be able to fix it. But it was becoming aggravating.

“Charlie, you are sewing the leg together child.” Severus called softly, having glanced up from his own quick mending. It was calming and soothing, sewing was. He had often had to fix clothing for his snakes, because many were scared that the elves would not return their clothing. So he did it, as it offered them just a bit of security. And here he was, spending his evening sewing. Lucius and Alexis still were not back, so he had nothing to do but pass time until they returned.

He glared at the older man, snarling softly under his breath. “I know.” He hissed, carefully ripping out the stitches and starting again.

He raised an eyebrow, not bothering to look up from the dress he was mending. It was Karrie's dress, the only one the child owned, and it had been torn in several places. Getting it away from the child had been difficult, as had getting the clothing from the other children. Most of them were reluctant to part with their belongings but Jake had done some rather fast talking and the majority had readily agreed. A bit of persuading and the rest eventually relented. Jake was very much the head of the counselors, even as young as he was. Granted, Alexis was only a year older than the man but they were vastly different people.

Kate glanced at the slightly younger man, frowning slightly. His hands were shaking and his needle was digging through both trouser legs...”Charlie, maybe I should-”

“I got it!” He snapped, gritting his teeth. He carefully tore out the stitches again, attempting one more time to get this damn thing right. He could do this. He didn't need help! He had been sewing since he was a teenager, after all. He didn't need her damn help.

“Charlie.” Jake reprimanded softly, catching the younger man's eye. He shook his head slightly, green eyes meeting blue for a moment. Charlie dropped his eyes first, glaring daggers in the trousers on his lap. He bit back a sigh, trading a quick look with Severus, The younger man was on edge, this was not good. But Severus' glance was reassuring, the older man was more than willing to handle it. Because he knew Charlie was more likely to listen to Severus, although the younger man was becoming much more comfortable with him and Mary; he was just like a younger brother to them and he wasn't above scolding the younger man. He just wasn't sure if the younger man would accept it from him just yet.

He watched the boy's hands for a moment longer, grimacing as he stabbed the fabric. Severus set his finished dress in the designated basket, before leaning forward and gently tugging the trousers out of Charlie's hold. “I think we could both use a break, Charlie. Walk with me.” It wasn't a suggestion and the boy grimaced at the order, sneering at him.

He hissed, gritting his teeth for a moment. He was fine, irritated but fine. He didn't need a break and he certainly didn't want to speak with Severus. But he also knew that there wasn't much of a way out of it. Unless... “I don't need a break, Severus.” He growled back, brushing away the hand that was offered to him.  
Severus merely raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly. He leaned closer to the child, ignoring the three sets of eyes locked on them. Remus had merely glanced at the boy and shaken his head, but the three young counselors were gaping at Charlie. “It was not a suggestion, child.” He murmured softly, dangerously. He beckoned to the child, turning and walking through the doorway without glancing back. The young man would follow, even if it took him a few minutes. He knew better than to not do so.

Charlie grumbled under his breath, ignoring the look Jake was sending him. He shifted uncomfortably for a moment before huffing and standing, stalking into the hallway. He glared at the older man, who was leaning against the wall, folding his arms over his chest. “What?” He growled, scowling furiously at the man.

Severus bit back a chuckle, keeping his expression perfectly bland. The younger man looked so much younger when he skulked so. He beckoned to the boy, turning and walking down the hallway. This part of the castle was mostly maintenance and storage but there was an old renovated storage room down here. He had managed to convince Albus to let him turn it into a makeshift gym years ago. It was the best place for this conversation. He stopped in front of the door, taping it with his wand to bypass the wards that would alert him, or the Headmistress, if there was a student in the gym when they shouldn't be. The Quidditch teams occasionally used the gym and he had often brought teenage boys, and the occasional girl, here to burn off steam; the wards just alerted him if someone was there alone or at night. Because any student here in the middle of the night needed to know that they were not alone. He had found the blond here once, when the boy was seventeen, and he remembered quite clearly the conversation that followed and he was sure the young man did as well. It was, after all, the only time he had ever taken the younger man over his knees. He had used stinging spells on him before, yes, but only once had he ever actually spanked the younger man. That was not important at the moment, however. Although he could see stinging spells in the near future. He gestured toward an area of the cushioned floor, following him into the room. “Sit. Talk to me, Charlie.” He remarked softly, calmly.

He bit his lip for a moment, trying to force his temper down. It wasn't working, however. His emotions had been too close to the surface for a few days now and everything, _everything,_ with him became anger. It was all he knew, after all, and he often reverted back to it when he was stressed. Perhaps he was stressed now, perhaps coming back to Hogwarts had been a bad idea but he loved these boys, loved this job, and even loved his colleagues, even if he did want to hex them sometimes. This room was not one he had thought he would be in tonight. The punching bag, the free weights, the area for hand to hand fighting...this was where he had started to learn control all those years ago. And this was also where Severus had kicked his ass for being stupid. And would probably do it again, if he felt that it was necessary. But it wasn't. He was fine. _Safe. Cared for. Sane. Loved?_ Well the last one had always been iffy, but lately...yes, lately he felt loved. He took a deep breath, trying to focus on those thoughts, hoping to edge the anger away. “I'm fine, sir. Just fine.” He replied dryly, finally looking at the older man.   
Severus sighed, shaking his head. Clearly, he was not fine or they wouldn't be having this conversation. “You internalize too much Charlie. I thought we had dealt with this when you were a student. You need to learn to let it out child, before it destroys you.” He stated quietly, settling himself into a cross-legged position on the floor. The younger man would join him when he chose to and not before.

“You want me to be angry, Severus?” He grimaced, running a hand across the punching bag. He didn't like letting his anger out, he didn't like his temper. He hated it and it...scared him. Because he couldn't become _that_ , he just couldn't.

Anger wasn't the only thing that the young man internalized. No, his anger came from forcing everything else down, from forcing himself not to feel anything at all. He had thought that they had handled this once before; taught him that it was alright, that it was necessary, to feel. Clearly, the few years that the young man had been away had caused him to forget all that he had taught him. “If that is what it takes, yes. But there is more to you than anger, Charles. Isn't there?” He drawled, raising an eyebrow when the younger man slumped slightly, shrugging.

“No.” He grunted, blinking rapidly and focusing intensely on the punching bag. There wasn't much but anger left in him anymore. And he did hold true anger for the mistreatment of his children, for the neglect they had suffered, for how hurting they were. No child should have to suffer through what he had and that did truly make him angry. Concerned, as well. He was always concerned for those children, for their well-being and happiness. So perhaps he did feel something besides anger. He felt concern. But did that really count?

Severus stood slowly, cautiously moving and putting a hand on the younger man's shoulder. Charlie flinched but he wasn't hexed. Nor did the younger man turn toward him. “There is Charlie. There is so much more to you than anger. So much more. There is compassion, strength, courage, love, concern, patience. So much patience, more than most would have for those children. You are more than anger.” He paused, turning the young man gently so that he faced him. “Tell me, what were you feeling while you were sewing? Besides anger. What was the root emotion?” He inquired softly, firm hand still resting on the man's shoulder.

He grimaced, biting his lip for a moment. Severus couldn't be right, could he? He had a bad temper, a lot of anger. He knew that. But...did he also have strength and courage? He wasn't sure. Charlie knew, however, that he did have compassion, and empathy, for not just the children under his care but also the adults around him. Most people, actually. He had strong empathy and it often led to anger, when he couldn't help someone or when someone else was suffering. He had patience for most people, but not bullying. And he definitely held concern, but strength? Courage? Those were not things he attributed to himself. He took a deep breath, focusing for a moment. Earlier, he had been angry at the need to patch up most of the children's clothing, at the reasons that none of them had adequate enough clothes. He had also been...frustrated. And he had felt.. “I was frustrated, that it wasn't sewing correctly. And angry that there was even a need to repair their clothing, that they had nothing. And I felt..” He grimaced, shaking his head for a moment.

“Helpless.” Severus suggested quietly, giving a slight smirk at the shock in the younger man's eyes before becoming somber.

“How?” Charlie questioned softly, dropping his eyes. A firm hand gripped his chin, bringing his eyes back up to meet onyx.   
“Every single person in that room felt helpless, Charlie. How much damage we have to undo, while not altogether shocking, is unsettling and upsetting. We feel helpless when we don't know how we can help these children heal. How we couldn't prevent this harm from happening to them. Helplessness is something everyone feels from time to time. There is no shame in that. You do not need to mask your feelings and emotions with anger, Charlie. You are not your father and you never will be. The fact that you care so much for these children proves that much.” He answered firmly, meeting the young man's eyes until the boy looked away, blinking rapidly. He chuckled softly, opening his arms in welcome. “Come here, boy.” He gruffed. It took a moment before the younger man's head was buried into his shoulder and he wrapped his arms tightly around the child.

Charlie blinked, ignoring the tingling feeling in his eyes. He was alright now, even if Severus had done much of the talking. The older man held him and the strong arms around him were reassuring. He was safe. He was okay. Well, maybe not but he would be okay. He leaned into the hug, resting his head on the man's shoulder and letting his body slowly relax.

Severus rubbed the younger man's back, keeping him in his hold. Charlie did not often let people _touch_ him, let alone hold him or hug him. And the younger man needed the comfort of physical contact, even if he denied it. “You are loved, Charlie. Don't forget that.” He murmured softly, feeling him relax against him. The younger man may had said little, but it was enough. Hopefully he had got through to him, but if not he would just keep trying. Because those children needed their favourite counselor and the blond made Alexis smile. So he would do what he had to, so that Charlie knew how much he was loved and needed. And that he didn't have to do this alone. That he had him, they had him, and they wouldn't let go.

-x-


	20. Falling Back

She groaned, running a hand over her face and gazing blearily at the parchment she had just set down. This forth coming shopping trip was a logistics nightmare. And the trip was _tomorrow._ She had decided, when Jake had brought the clothing issue to her attention, that they would need two shopping trips. One for school supplies in August, if her teachers ever finalized their book lists, and one much sooner for basic clothing and necessities. So she was taking nearly fifty children to a non-magical shopping centre to get clothing, books and toys, although the children weren't aware of that last two. It had been a week since the clothing checks and she had gotten the camp counselors to go through and write down exactly what each child was missing. Some of them needed entire wardrobes. Most of them, actually. But that was alright, it wasn't like they couldn't afford it. No, money wasn't the issue here. The issue was making sure forty-nine children were safe in a shopping centre without the help of magic. Every single counselor was going on this trip as was all the current teachers in residence. Getting there would involve a mass portkey and two buses. It was a headache, but a necessary one. She knew that, even if she didn't like that it was necessary. Alexis grunted, picking up the sheet of names to return to pairing children with adults.

Tim glanced up from his work, gazing at the younger woman for a moment. He placed the finished band in the basket, picking up a new one to link to the master bands. They would put a band on each child's wrist which would be linked to the four master bands, so that if any child wandered off or if something happened, they could get to them quickly. The bands themselves would bond with the child's magic, making it so that they could identify who needed them or find a specific child easily. The master bands, which Alexis had crafted, would bond with the mage wearing them, adding a direct line to the children. He would have one, as would Alexis. Severus and Eric, as the deputy Headmaster and the Head Healer, well for physical wellness at least, would have the remaining two. The four of them would roam freely amongst the children and Filius would handle the money pouch, while the rest of the adults handled three or four children a piece. It would be an interesting adventure, but they were going on a Tuesday morning, so hopefully it wouldn't be terribly crowded. He wasn't sure how some of these children would handle crowds and they would be in the muggle world, although not near where any of the children originated from, so some of the non-magical raised and born would be nervous or scared, especially if they saw someone they knew. Or god forbid, their abuser. That would be...disastrous. He frowned when the floo flashed and Filius stepped out. The man was doing visits to muggleborn and raised first years today, and while he knew that they might gain a few more campers, he was hoping this wasn't the case. Filius didn't look worried or angry, just thoughtful.

“Filius?” Alexis questioned, raising an eyebrow and looking up from her paperwork. “Is something wrong?”

He shook his head slightly, still mulling over the child he had just met and what they could do to help her. “The first year I was visiting, her parents gave permission for a temporary floo connection. I think it would be wise if you and Eric went to visit her. “He replied finally, shaking his head as if to clear it. “She isn't being abused.” He added hastily, seeing the look in his child's eyes.

“Then why Eric and I?” Alexis frowned, leaning forward slightly. The smaller man was acting much like he did when he was pondering a particularly complex bit of charms work or crafting a spell. Like he was running fifty different scenarios in his mind and coming up with the same answer each time.

“Mia is paralyzed from the waist down. Her spinal cord was severed when she was hit by a car, five years ago. She feels pain in her legs, nearly constant in the last year or two. The simple scan I did shows...I believe her magic might be repairing the nerves and muscles, reconnecting the pathways from her spine to her legs. Eric is the best at pediatric medicine and you are a healer in your own right. I would say Tim as well, but let's not overwhelm the child on our first visit.” He explained quietly, watching as her eyes became thoughtful and Tim sat up straighter.

Alexis touched her pendant, summoning Eric with a thought. The man would be there momentarily and they would go see if there was a way to help a young girl walk again. If nothing else, they could find a magical wheelchair for the girl, so that if her parents let her attend Hogwarts she would be able to get around. But she also knew that was a big if. The child's parents were quite likely to not want their daughter going to a boarding school, not with her being disabled. And if they did agree, the girl wouldn't walk over night. Even if the parents didn't, if they could help the child's body heal, they would. Because that was her goal, her job, her dream; to heal these children, physically and mentally. And she would do so to the best of her abilities.

-x-

“Stop fidgeting, Derek.” Severus admonished quietly, frowning at the boy for a moment before surveying the rest of the group of teenagers surrounding him. The worst tempers in the school were spread across the carpet, most of them with eyes glaring at their laps. But the few, the ones who trusted him to keep them safe, with closed eyes and calm minds, breathing deeply and actually getting something from this exercise. He often ran a meditation group for his Slytherins during the school year and he knew how much it helped them. Hopefully, these teenagers would also take something from it. He bit back a sigh, watching as others started to fidget as well. They had been at it for nearly an hour, though, so he did understand. “Alright. Enough for today. We will try again tomorrow on centering ourselves and finding a calm place.” He ordered finally, causing agitated, restless teenagers to groan. “I know. It's hard and it's boring and you don't _get_ it. I understand, I was once a student as well. But wouldn't it be nice to control your tempers, so that they didn't control you? Wouldn't it be nice to stop finding yourselves in trouble for those tempers? I can teach you control but you have to work with me. All of you. Come ready to try again tomorrow evening.” He added briskly, raising an eyebrow at the teenagers. It took half a second for them to force stiff bodies to their feet and start rushing out the door. “Bain, Elijah. A moment please.” The two boys in questioned turned, the younger one groaning. Bain had been one of the few not trying to run from this lesson. Although the red-head didn't need to learn the basics, he did need to mediate more and hopefully this anger management group that he had been talked into starting would help the teenager gain more control.

“Sir?” Bain questioned quietly, frowning slightly. He had wanted to go to the lab, after all he had been ungrounded for nearly a week and he wanted to experiment. But he also needed to check in with Charlie and see if the older man needed him to do anything. After all, they had a shopping trip the next morning and the counselors were trying to finalize details while still running groups and activities.

“Alexis had to make a sudden trip to Wales, Bain. She asked that you keep an eye on Teddy.” Severus remarked, focusing on the older teenager first. Alexis' last message had said that they would be back in a few hours and although Charlie would keep an eye on Teddy, he had ten other boys as well, not counting the kids in the 'E' group. Even though he was thirteen, Teddy was young and recently diabetic. He had also not had a very good weekend. And one of his counselors, or Bain, would be watching him at all times for a little while. He also knew that by asking Bain to watch Teddy, he would keep an eye on Karrie and Harry as well. The three were nearly always together, after all. Two weeks, and it was like they had spent years together. By the time school started back, he knew they would be completely inseparable.

He furrowed his brow, tilting his head to the side. “Wales?” He questioned quietly, knowing the his Master would tell him if he could. He would keep an eye of the trio, then, instead of brewing. He could always brew when Alexis got back home and Teddy was back in their chambers for the evening. He shivered, remembering the feeling of finding the child covered in his own blood...that had been a bad day all around.

“Yes, Wales. There is an incoming first year she needed to see to.” Severus sighed, shaking his head when both boys grimaced. “Not like that. The child has a serious medical condition, something that the Headmistress needed to know and speak to her parents about.” That was true, of course. Partly, at least. The child would hopefully be attending Hogwarts, her parents weren't decisive yet. But, according to Filius, they were very excited by the prospect of being able to heal some of the damage to the child's nervous system. Alexis and Eric had a few more tests to run and then he would have a complex potion to brew and administer; hopefully, it would work and the child's magic would do the rest. It would take months of physical therapy and treatments of the potion and the spells, but there was a chance that the child could at least move her lower half. Walking was a long shot but if the parents and the girl were prepared to take it, then they would do their very best to make it happen.

Bain nodded, relaxing slightly. At least it wasn't another abuse case. They had too many of those and he feared that they would gain more with the first year visits. They still might, actually. He turned, heading upstairs to help Charlie and Phil with their group and to be able to do as Alexis asked, to watch out for one of his younger brothers. Because to him, and his magic, that's what they were becoming, Teddy and Elijah. His brothers.

Elijah shifted from foot to foot uneasily, glancing up at Severus through a curtain of his hair. He had an idea about what the man wanted and he really didn't want to be fussed at.

He shifted dark eyes to the younger boy, shaking his head slightly. Alexis had been teaching the child to mediate, there was no reason he should had spent the class glaring at another child. The teen had also been broadcasting his thoughts, something that any Legilimens would have picked up on. And they were not pleasant thoughts. “Would you like to tell me what that was all about?” He questioned dryly, arching a brow at the fidgeting boy.

“Sir?” Elijah questioned, tilting his head slightly and raising his eyes to meet the older man's for a moment before dropping them once more.

“You did not focus on the lesson, even though Alexis mentioned that you have taken to mediation easily. Instead, you chose to spend the entire hour boring holes into Derek's side.” Severus drawled, leaning back slightly. The teenager's projected thoughts about the other boy had been...concerning.

“I don't trust him.” He shrugged, glancing up quickly. He didn't trust the slightly older boy and he didn't like him. He also wanted to make him suffer for the damage Derek had done to both Teddy and Robert. But Severus didn't have to know that.

He sighed, running a hand across his face for a moment. “That is understandable. However, it doesn't explain why you are planning to harm him.” He purred silkily, dangerously. The child grimaced and he watched emotions flash through the boy's eyes for a moment before they settled on anger.

“Stay out of my head!” Elijah snapped, spinning around and storming toward the door. He froze when the door swung shut, biting his lip to stop a hiss of pain when a stinging spell made contact with his bottom. Damn man. He had no right! He was allowed to think what he wanted! He shouldn't have been in his head.

“You were broadcasting.” Severus stated simply, hiding his concern for the child behind a neutral mask. It wasn't so much that the child was thinking about revenge, but that he was planning to do deliberate harm to another teenager that was concerning. What had the bully done to make Elijah feel such hate for him? What did Elijah know that he didn't? That Alexis didn't? Or it could just be a teenage squabble. But if the boy's first response was to harm someone, they would have a serious problem on their hands.

He grimaced, biting the inside of his cheek for a moment. He hadn't actually been planning to do it, he had just been thinking about how to avenge his friend and little brother. And maybe he wanted to take his confusion and frustration about Robert out on Derek, even if it wasn't totally the bully's fault. He could still blame it on the bully. But he wouldn't actually harm Derek. For one, he remembered what Alexis had said about casting those curses. He also didn't want to cause any more problems for her right now. And, he didn't like hurting people. Because he was not his parents and he did not want to become them; he did not want to be cruel and hurt others. “I wasn't really going to harm him. Thinking shouldn't be a crime!” He snapped, sneering at the older man. He shouldn't be punished for thoughts but for actions. After all, everyone had plotted revenge before, that didn't mean they acted upon it. And he'd rather believe that he wouldn't act on those thoughts, no matter how appealing they seemed at times.

“It isn't, Elijah. You are not, currently, in trouble.” Severus growled, letting the subtle threat hang in the air for a moment. The boy dropped his glare to his trainers, flinching slightly. “Could you tell me why you were thinking of harming Derek?” He questioned gentler, softer. He wanted the child to trust him, to feel safe talking to him. Hopefully, with time, trust would come. But like respect, at least with these children, he had to prove himself worthy of that trust.

“He's a bully.” Elijah stated, rolling his eyes. That was a stupid question. Why did adults always ask stupid questions?

“Yes. But he has never bullied _you_ and since you tried to curse him, he has stayed away from you. So what makes you want to harm him?” Severus replied dryly, shaking his head. Typical teenaged answer, like it was really that simple. _Who knows, it might be. I never liked bullies either, but nor did I plan to torture them._ He pulled himself from his thoughts at the child's scoff, narrowing his eyes at the teenager.

“He is a bully, sir. He picks on smaller kids and those different from himself. He put doubt in Teddy's mind and the kid hurt himself real bad. He makes Robert feel bad with his words, cause he's too cowardly to hit him, since Robert's so much bigger.” He shrugged, raising his eyes to meet the older man's once more. He knew that Derek had not made Teddy do that but he had said something nasty to the boy, earlier that day. Elijah remembered when Harry had tried to shove the bigger boy and he had intervened, getting between the three children and the bastard bully. Derek had left right after that and Teddy had turned emotionless, locking down. The boy had said he was fine but then that night....he hadn't been so fine.

The child was planning ways to torture another child to avenge his friends? And he did mean torture. Some of those spells...a boy of fifteen should not even know of those spells. Let alone plan to use them on another person. “That may be but does that give you the right to harm him?” He inquired quietly, raising an eyebrow when the boy merely shrugged. “Elijah, I understand wanting someone to suffer for harming someone you care about. But acting on those thoughts is different. Magic is about intent. You could do serious harm to him without meaning to and that is not acceptable. What is the most important rule of magic?” Severus sighed. Merlin grant him patience.

“Harm none.” He mumbled, not meeting the older man's eyes. But if it was to harm none, weren't stinging spells harm? They did hurt after all. A lot. And he hated them. So wasn't the man breaking his own rule? Or was it different, because the professor was an adult? “But you do harm.” He protested finally, glaring back up at the man.

“How do you mean?”

Elijah hesitated, green eyes uncertain for a moment. “Well, isn't those stinging spells harm? They _do_ hurt.” He responded slowly, flushing slightly.

Severus blinked, staring at the child for a moment before giving a bark of laughter. He chuckled deep from his stomach, smirking at the child's shocked face when he finally collected himself once more. “I apologized. I once said much the same to my Master.” He drawled causally, shaking his head and fighting to keep his laughter under control. Wait until Remus and Alexis heard this one! “His answer, as well as mine, of course, is no. It is not the same.”

“But, they hurt!” Elijah objected, blushing deeply and biting his lip again. He was quite aware that the professor hadn't been laughing at him, not completely, but his question. He did make the dour man laugh. No one would ever believe him, at least none who weren't at the camp.

“Yes, as they are meant to. Stinging spells, as well as deserved smackings, are suppose to hurt. Do they actually harm you? No. Momentary discomfort is different from torturing and beating someone. Nor is a smacking the same as abuse. Abuse harms you, it not only leaves marks but it can damage your magical core. It hurts you. Stinging spells do not.” He explained quietly, sighing at the child's blank stare. “There has been research done on this, Elijah. Disciplining and correcting someone is not harmful; rather it does more good than bad. It may not seem like it at the moment, but it does. Using magic to do purposeful harm to someone, or using your fists to cause them damage, is harmful. Magic, and life, is all about intent. Did I mean for the stinging spell to hurt? Yes, otherwise it is not effective. But did I want to harm you? No. My intent is never to do you harm. I may make it uncomfortable for you to sit for awhile or ground you until you are forty, but I do not intent to harm you. Rather, I wish to help you. Does that make sense?” He added quietly, watching the flash of knowledge in green eyes for a moment.

He hesitated, turning it over in his mind for a moment. So the intent to discipline him wasn't harmful but his father's intent to beat the magic out of him was. That made...sense, actually. But then..when Teddy harmed himself, was that the same as if he had intended to harm someone else? Or was it different? That was something to think about, then. Him wanting to harm Derek, to curse Derek so that the older boy knew pain and suffering, was the same as his father beating him. It was harmful, because his intent was to hurt Derek and make him suffer. Which was bad. But he wasn't bad, was he? He just sometimes wanted to hurt him. He could never actually harm someone, Elijah knew that. Because he had once swore that he would never be his father. And he wouldn't. “Yes sir. I understand now. Sorry.”

“For? There is not reason to apologize child. None at all. Now, hurting Derek will not make you feel better nor will it make your friends better. Revenge never does.” He stated firmly, onyx eyes glinting briefly with the smallest bit of guilt. He had once thought revenge was fine, but then he had been young and foolish back then as well. And he have had few adults in his life to tell him otherwise when he was Elijah's age. The child would not learn these lessons the hard way, not like he had. “Where did you learn those spells, Elijah?”

He nodded solemnly, blinking rapidly for a moment. He knew revenge would hurt more in the end but it had seemed like a good thought at the time. And just because he thought something, didn't mean he would do it. But he had a feeling that the older man did know that fact. “Books, sir.” Elijah shrugged, finally meeting his eyes once more. He had learned the spells from books, and older boys, but mostly books.

“Those are torture spells. No book in Hogwarts should contain them.” Severus replied quietly, narrowing his eyes in thought. What would a child need torture spells for? And what books would he learn them from?

Elijah grimaced, looking away quickly. He knew that, of course. “I wasn't going to use them sir. I don't like hurting people. Only to scare him.” He answered honestly, shifting uncomfortable for a moment. He flinched when a hand rested on his shoulder but didn't pull away.

“But accidents do happen.” He responded gently, squeezing the child's shoulder. That was the only answer he would get from the boy, but that was alright. Elijah was from a bad home, he had probably learned those spells for the same reason that he, Severus, had once studied 'dark', dangerous spells. To protect himself. He waited until the child nodded in acknowledgment before smirking at the boy. “Now, unless there is anything you would like to speak about, you may go.” He offered, knowing quite well that the boy would probably just take off.

He hesitated, green eyes unsure. There was something he wanted to ask the professor, but he was reluctant to have that conversation with a teacher. He thought about asking Bain but he knew the older boy would laugh at him. Severus might too, actually. But he trusted the man; he didn't know why, he just did. Alexis trusted him, so he did too. And the man had never been cruel to him, even when he had blown up cauldrons out of anger. “Sir? May I ask you something?” He ventured nervously, meeting onyx eyes hesitantly.

“Of course, Elijah. You may come to me with anything.” He reassured, hiding concern quickly. Nervousness was rolling off the child, like he was afraid of what he would say. Or perhaps, what he wouldn't say.

“I- well, I...that is to say..erm.” He blushed, looking down quickly.

“Calm, child.” Severus murmured, patting the boy's shoulder gently. “ I won't harm you, hex you, nor laugh. So take a deep breath and try again.” He encouraged, giving the boy a half smile.

He grimaced, nodded, and took a deep breath. He knew Severus wouldn't hurt him. But the things tumbling through his head were embarrassing. “How'd you know you liked Remus?” He blurted in one breath, biting his lip and dropping his eyes.

He smiled, placing a finger under the child's chin and lifting it up so that he had to look at him. He had been expecting a question like this eventually, although he had also expected the child to seek out someone closer to his age. “He made my stomach flutter, made me feel queasy and sweaty whenever I was around him. He made me nervous and I wanted to impress him so badly. I also would defend him and fight for him, I hated it when others spoke ill of him. Even in a room of the most beautiful people, my eyes never strayed from him. If you meant how did I know I liked boys and not girls, that is quite simple. I was never attracted to girls, never interested in them as more than friends. Although I could see myself with a girl, I also could not see myself happy if I dated a girl.” He replied, eyes going distant for a moment. Eight years. He had been dating Remus for eight years. They both had to grow up a little before that but they fell madly in love. He didn't even mind when his partner became displeased because he lost his temper once more. Albus had rules about partners living at Hogwarts, and so Remus never could live with him, even if he spent the occasional night. But now, he could. They could be together, openly and without doubting each other. Because they truly loved each other.

Elijah looked up at the older man in wonder, hearing the passion in the man's voice. That had been exactly what he was asking. Because he didn't know if he truly liked Robert or if it was just his hormones talking. If maybe he could like girls, even though he wasn't attracted to them. At all. He knew he would not be happy dating a girl but did Robert like him as more than a friend? That he didn't know. “Thank you, Severus.” He grinned, using the man's given name for the first time. He had asked them to call him that, after all.

“Elijah...you are young. Too young for anything serious. And the boy you like is of age. You are not. Nor is he ready for a relationship of any kind. Take your time. Don't rush into it. And talk to him. You won't lose him as a friend.” He advised softly, watching the teenager for a moment. Robert had spoken to him about his feelings for boys last year, when he had come to him, as his Head of House, for advice. He had also seen how the older boy looked at the younger; there were feelings there. But it was too soon, nothing would happen between them. Hopefully.

He looked away with a nod, biting his lip. He knew he was too young for it to be serious, he didn't expect to find his lifelong partner at school, but he wasn't too young for Robert. And he hadn't know that the older man had known about his feelings. He supposed that it was a bit obvious, the way he acted around the other boy. “I understand sir. Thanks.” He responded finally, looking back at him.

“What happened to Severus?” He teased, squeezing the boy's shoulder before letting him go. The teenager grinned at him, stuck out his tongue and was off. Hopefully, he listened to him and realized that his feelings were not wrong. He was just too young to move anywhere past kissing. Too young to have to deal with his own trauma, too young to think of torturing someone. He was just too much of an adult for someone so young. He hoped he would not forget to be a child, even for just a little bit longer. And that he would still come to him with his questions in the future.

-x-

Harry grumbled, kicking his feet restlessly. He hated this sessions. It was pointless, there was nothing wrong with him and he wasn't going to talk about it. But they were required, for all campers. Even Bain met with a counselor. But Teddy had said that he had heard Bain swearing angrily when Alexis had informed him to stop skipping the stupid sessions. He would have sworn too. He didn't want to be sitting here! He would rather be with Teddy and Karrie. Teddy had been so quiet lately, and he had seen the bandage on the other boy's arm. He didn't want him to be hurting. And Karrie...well Karrie was sad but she kept pretending not to be. She was also scared that Remus and Severus would decide that they didn't want her. He was scared of that too. He knew it was only a matter of time before they tired of him. His eyes snapped up toward the healer, frowning at the man who had called his name. “Huh?”

Tim forced back a sigh, shaking his head slightly. He had called the boy three times before he had finally answered him. Twenty minutes of silence. That was new record for Harry. “What is going through that head of yours?” He inquired softly, knowing that he was not likely to get an actual answer.

He shrugged, turning his eyes back to his trainers. “Can I go now?” Harry asked finally, not bothering to look up or to stop kicking his feet.

“Not yet. We have at least twenty more minutes, Harry. Would you like to play a game?”Tim suggested, raising an eyebrow at the boy. The child wouldn't be so bored if he actually spoke to him, instead of staring into space. Although, he could understand the reluctance to speak.

He hesitated, tilting his head slightly. Uncle had always been against him playing, but Severus and Remus encouraged it. It was a bit confusing sometimes, cause he had trouble remembering which rules he should be following. Uncle had so many rules but Remus and Severus had different rules. Fewer rules. Stupid rules. Finally, he just shrugged, giving the smallest of nods.

“Checkers alright?” Tim summoned the game and small table, setting it up at the child's nod. Hopefully, the boy would start talking to him while they played but he wouldn't count on it. Harry rarely spoke in this sessions. One day, the child would trust him enough to open up. He could only hope.

He slowly moved the red piece, not quite remembering the rules to this game. He had only played it twice, both times in the evening after group meetings. Karrie liked it and so they played it. Granted, Karrie also like the princess game, but she was reluctant to play it, cause she never had it before and she didn't think she would be allow. Cause Karrie thought she was dirty. But she wasn't. She couldn't be. Neither was Teddy. Neither of them were dirty. He was the only bad one, right? “Tim?”

“Hm?” He responded, gazing at the child's slow, unsure movements before moving his own pieces.

“Why do they think they are dirty for something they couldn't control?” Harry questioned slowly, curious green eyes glancing up at the man.

Tim blinked, turning his full attention on the pre-teen. He didn't have to ask who the child meant, he could easily guess that answer. It had to be one of the children Harry spent a lot of time with. Bain and Elijah watched out for the trio, but neither would tell such a thing to the kids. Teddy and Karrie both had told him that they were 'dirty' so there was a good chance Harry meant one or both of them. “Because they blame themselves for it. They have been hurt and violated, told that they were dirty and tainted. They aren't, but it is a belief they hold that has to be changed. It takes a lot of work to change that view of themselves, a view that has been forced on them for quite a while. But it can be done. Just like you blame yourself for the things that happened to you, your friends do the same.” He replied briskly, firmly. The boy met his eyes for a brief second before looking away quickly.

That made a bit of sense, but it didn't mean he had to agree with it. He didn't, after all, blame himself for things that weren't his fault. He had deserved what had happened to him. But Karrie and Teddy had not deserved it, not at all. And they weren't dirty. But he, he was bad. Tim was just mistaken there. He moved his checkers piece, scowling at the board. He wasn't so good at strategy games, Remus had commented that it was because he was hyper-aware of his surroundings. He wasn't so sure what that meant but Harry did know that he couldn't focus on the board for too long, he was always fidgeting and glancing around, looking for the next sign of danger. But adults didn't understand that. Because danger was everywhere. And he had to always watch out for it, or someone would hurt him. Or worse, something bad would happen to someone he cared about. Bad things always happened when he was around. Perhaps it would be better if he wasn't? If he just disappeared.

“Harry?” Tim asked, concerned. The boy had paled, his eyes unfocused, staring blankly at the table. He was trembling slightly and emotions were flitting across the normally closed face. He wasn't so sure exactly what had occurred to cause the child to shut down like this. “Harry? Look at me please.” He called again, leaning forward slightly. His only answer was silence.

He was bad, dangerous. He couldn't stay. 'Cause people would get hurt and it'd be his fault and no one would love him ever anyway and he was a waste of space and uncle had been right and he just-

“Harry!” He grabbed the child's small hand, keeping it from tearing at pale skin. He grasped it gently, furrowing his brows when the boy blinked and stared at him in confusion for a moment. “You are at Hogwarts, in my office. We were playing checkers. You are safe here.” He stated firmly, hoping to ground the boy in the moment. A hesitant nod was all the answer he needed. The child was back with him, having been drawn into a flashback or his thoughts; he wasn't quite sure which. “Tell me what was going through your mind, please?”

Harry hesitated, biting his lip hard. The healer had yet to release his wrist, he probably thought he would harm himself. And he might, to be honest. Because he deserved pain and no one else would punish him here. So he had to punish himself. But later, when he was alone. He knew that he couldn't tell Tim about the need to disappear, couldn't tell any adult. They just wouldn't understand. “It was nothing sir. Sorry.” He murmured, looked away quickly.

Tim raised an eyebrow but he knew that he would get nothing else. He forced back a sigh, turning his attention back to the board. The child had gone back to silence, to being a closed book. But he would learn about it eventually, it just took time. And trust. Hopefully, the child would learn to trust him before he did something stupid.

-x-

He wiggled, taping his free hand restlessly on his leg. He hated these tests. The magical blood tests were fine but Eric had asked to take a sample of his blood, just so he could see an extremely accurate sugar count. He hated needles, even if the small prick in his elbow hadn't hurt that much. He still hated them. They looked all alien and strange, like something out of one of the horror books Draco liked. Teddy sighed, scowling at the the white bandage on his free arm. It was the only visible sign of his breakdown late Friday night. Well that and his babysitter. But Bain was cool and he was also family now. So his company wasn't completely unwanted. And the bigger kids didn't mess with his group when Bain and Elijah hung around. But Elijah was no where to be seen and Bain was sitting in a chair nearby, book in hand. The infirmary was just so...boring.

Eric chuckled, setting aside the file he was writing in and turning back to the impatient child. All children, he had found, were impatient during checkups and healer's visits. He had dealt with many patients who had diabetes and he knew that the process was boring for the children. Most of them hated having blood drawn, especially those raised in pure-blood families who knew that blood could be used for negative purposes. “Alright Teddy. Your counts are a bit lower than I would like but if we change the dosage on your potion, that should help a bit. Remember to write down all of your counts in the logbook I gave you. They will appear in my copy of the book, so that if there is a problem, we can fix it sooner rather than later.” He stated causally, knowing quite well that the child would respond better to him this way. Many doctors, he had found, talked down to the children in their care, instead of speaking to them like they could understand and treating them like people in their own rights. They were people, after all, just little people.

Teddy nodded, meeting the dark-skinned man's warm eyes. Eric had quickly become his favourite healer, besides Alexis. Because Pomfery prodded too much and Jemma treated him like a little kid. Tim was a good healer as well, but he was also primarily a mind healer and that meant he wanted him to talk. Which he often didn't want to talk. But then again, very few of the kids at the camp actually wanted to speak with any of the counselors. He knew it helped some of them but the rest..well they just weren't ready yet. “Am I done?” He questioned, tilting his head to the side, glancing briefly toward Bain.

“Nearly. I would like to check your arm, if that is alright.” Eric replied calmly, nodding toward the arm in question. The child grimaced but nodded, holding the limb out to him. He tapped his wand softly to the bandage, removing the spell that kept the child from picking at it. Or getting it wet, or the bandage itching. Really, it was an amazing spell.

Bain glanced up from his book, grimacing at the slash down the younger boy's forearm and part of his upper arm, before looking back at his potions text. He flexed his fingers, biting back a groan at the pain in his hand. He didn't want to draw attention to it, after all.

Teddy held still, watching with fascination as the man placed a hand beside the wound, sending his magic into his arm by touch. He loved this kind of magic, it almost made him feel safe. It also reminded him of Alexis and the first time he really interacted with the woman, and she _did_ make him feel safe. As proven by the number of times he had fallen asleep sprawled across her lap but she never seemed to mind.

“So I never heard, what inspired this?” Eric inquired causally, scouring the latest bit of infection from the child's arm. He knew for a fact that the child would not speak to anyone about that night, not even Alexis. He caught Bain's head snapping up out of the corner of his eye and sighed softly. The teenager had been the one to find the child, passed out on the floor of the cabin bathroom. The boy had technically not left his cabin, so the alarm hadn't sounded. Why the self-harm wards hadn't worked and why that alarm hadn't sounded was an entirely different matter. He was aware that both wards had been replaced and strengthen since the incident. Nearly an accident really, for all the child had said was that he hadn't meant to cut that deep.

He hesitated, fidgeting slightly before shrugging. He trusted Eric and the man wasn't being nosy about it. He just sounded curious, like he actually cared. Logically, he knew Alexis, Tim, and Charlie all cared as well and perhaps he would tell Alexis soon, but he didn't want to upset any of them. “A lot of things. I had a... bad dream. Father and Derek...And I just, I couldn't. You know?” Teddy looked up slowly, meeting those comforting eyes. Unlike his Headmistress', whose eyes went from hard as stones to warm silver, Eric's eyes were always warm, comforting, welcoming even. He was sure that his eyes probably still looked welcoming when he was angry, although he had never seen the healer angry.

“I do know. That must have been difficult, huh? Having your bully and your father in the same dream. Did they hurt you? Or was it their words that got to you?” He questioned softly, spreading a salve on the child's arm to minimize scarring. It would take a few more days to heal completely; hopefully, it would not leave an awful scar.

“Both. Words, mostly though. They both kept repeating what Derek had said earlier and it hurt. I didn't want to believe them but when I woke up...it felt so real. I needed the pain to drown away their words.” Teddy shrugged, staring down at his hand for a moment. He glanced up when Bain growled, grimacing slightly. Elijah had heard what Derek had said, he must have told Bain.

“He was wrong.” Bain muttered, catching brown eyes with blue. “You are not some worthless freak who can't be loved. And she wouldn't turn you away or get rid of you. Hell, if she puts up with Elijah, you and me should be a walk in the park. Right?”

“Ah. Alexis could never 'get rid of' any of you. She is quite attached, as is her magic. It would literally hurt her to lose you. Just as it hurts you to think about losing the sense of stability that you are coming to find with her. Although, I do not think Elijah is as bad as you make him seem, Bain.” Eric commented quietly, catching both of the boys attention. The two snickers weren't surprising, although he did raise an eyebrow at them. “What did he do now?” He asked in mock exasperation. He had heard many tales of Elijah in the last week and a half, most of them were funny mischief but some were quite serious.

“Before or after he dipped Derek's hand in water while he was sleeping?” Teddy giggled, smirking. He glanced back at his arm as the Healer wrapped it up in a new bandage, biting his lip slightly. “Do you have to put the spell on it?” He asked cautiously, shifting uncomfortably.

“Unless you can promise to keep it dry, clean, and not to mess with it, I do. And, the spell keeps it from itching. I know how much they can itch and it is quite annoying, isn't it?” Eric replied briskly, shaking his head at Elijah's antics.

“Yeah, I guess it's okay then.” Teddy shrugged. He knew there was no way he could keep it clean. He seemed to attracted messes. “Can I have my cookie now?” He added, grinning up at the man.

Eric snorted, tapping the bandage with his wand to place the spell on it before summoning a specific jar of cookies. These low sugar cookies were actually alright for Teddy to have and word seemed to spread that he kept cookies and candy for the well-behaved patients. Most of the younger ones were willing to let him check them over for a promised treat. “You may have two and take Bain's chair. I would like to look at his hand before you two leave.” He held a hand out to the child, offering him a steady hand as he jumped down from the table. Teddy released his hand and dipped his own into the cookie jar, fishing around for a moment. With a smirk, the child bounded over to Bain, already chomping on one of the cookies.

“You and oatmeal raisin.” Bain teased, standing and glaring at Eric. His hand was perfectly fine, thank you very much. It was sore but fine.

Eric pointed to the table, watching the young man as he hopped up, using his left hand primarily. He held his hand out, raising an eyebrow when his only response was a scowl. “Let me see your hand, Bain.” He ordered quietly. He gave the child a pointed look when he offered his left hand, shaking his head. “Your _right_ hand.”

Bain growled but obeyed, letting the man take his tender wrist in his hand. He flinched when the man tapped it with his wand, removing the glamour he had placed on it. Alexis hadn't seen him this afternoon and Severus had been busy fussing at Elijah, so neither had noticed yet. But he knew they, too, would have seen through that glamour.

Eric studied the swollen hand for a moment, frowning at the tears on the knuckles and the visible splinters he could see. He sent his magic into the child's hand, furrowing his brow in concentration. “What did you hit, exactly? A wall? A tree?” He questioned, turning the hand over carefully.

He hissed in pain, biting his lip hard. “A tree.” He snapped, flinching as the man slowly straighten each of his fingers. The magic running through his hand relaxed it slightly, but it still hurt.

“Was it a tree that hit back?” He picked up his wand again, running it across the boy's carpals. His wrist was not broken, just a hairline fracture. His fingers were bruised and cut, and there were a few splinters he needed to remove, but it wasn't the worst he had ever seen. Someone needed to teach this child how to hit, and hopefully not trees.

He grunted, shaking his head. He wasn't that stupid. He just hit the damn thing a dozen or so times. His left hand was fine, with only a small bruise on his knuckle, but he had managed to tear up his right. Damn tree.

“Next time you need to take your anger out on something, try a punching bag. With gloved or wrapped hands. Or, trying talking about it. I'm here if you, either of you, ever need just a listening ear.” Eric remarked quietly, summoning a pair of tweezers. The teenager pulled back instinctively but he gently held his wrist, carefully pulling splinters out of his fingers. He then carefully rubbed a salve onto the hand, nodding to himself as the swelling started to go down. With the bones back in place, he wrapped the child's hand and wrist gently, although the boy still flinched. He tapped the bandage with his wand, applying the same spell he did to Teddy's, before summoning a pain potion. “Drink this and you may have a cookie.”

He grunted, taking the potion and downing the nasty tasting liquid quickly before reaching toward the cookie jar. “But Teddy got two!” He grinned at the child, who stuck his tongue out, before sliding off the table. He was so tall that it wasn't that far down now. Had he ever been as small as Teddy? He didn't think so.

“Yes, well you may have two as well.” Eric smirked at the boy, understanding his tactics quite clearly. Anything to get Teddy to act like the child he was. “Off with you two. I will see you at dinner. Do try to eat well tonight, Teddy.” He ordered finally, squeezing the younger boy's shoulder for a brief second and giving the older boy a brisk pat on the back. He watched them leave, both smirking at him first, as Bain easily looped an arm around Teddy's shoulder and chatter filled the hallway as they left the infirmary wing. He would have to make a note of Bain's anger and to let both his Master and Alexis know. He had faith that both children would, in time, be alright. It would just take time.

-x-

“Tables are for glasses, not asses Marko.” She raised an eyebrow at the boy pointedly, nodding to the bench. He grumbled but obeyed, sliding easily from sitting on the tabletop to sitting on the bench, and she kept moving down the aisle, shaking her head at one of the younger boys, causing him to remove the toy spider he had been placing in a girl's hair. “Hands to yourselves Milo, Benjamin.” She ordered firmly. The two teenage boys dropped their hands to their sides, temporarily stopping their pestering of a teenage girl. The girl quickly moved from near them to down the table, among fellow girls. Alexis shook her head, finally reaching her place at the head of the table. Two long tables was enough to fit both staff and students, and they intermixed easily now. It had been difficult the first few days for both groups, but in their third week they interacted much more comfortably with each other. Severus headed the other table, with Tim easily taking up the other end. Filius ended her own table, with Eric settling comfortably on her right. From here she could keep her eyes on all of the children, stopping trouble if necessary and making sure they all managed to eat enough to help too small bodies grow. Of course, not all of the children were malnourished but a good portion were.

“So good news or bad news?” Eric asked quietly, eyes roaming up and down the table. “Hannah, food goes in your mouth, not in your lap.” He called sternly, catching the named girl's eyes for a moment. She scowled at him and then her plate, before finally shoveling a forkful in. He watched her for another minute as food was chewed repeatedly and then finally, reluctantly, swallowed. If she just wasn't hungry, she wouldn't have been hiding the food by dropping it into her lap. Did she think the elves never swept the floor? Nor that they would report if there seemed to be a larger amount of food than necessary on the floor? He would have to look into it soon, perhaps tomorrow afternoon.

“Hmm. Bad.” Alexis murmured back quietly, frowning at Travis. The child thought he was being sneaky but if she had saw it...yes, Phil noticed and caught the boy's hand before he could dump salt onto the entire dish of potatoes. Her eyes flew toward the other table, her frown deepening at the sparks flying up.

“Do that again and you will lose your wand for the rest of the day, Jim!” Severus rebuked, sighing in exasperation. That child would be the death of him, using spells so irresponsibly like that.

Yes, a typical meal it would be. Bad news first then. “I will fill you in on details and results tonight. I have finished running his blood-work and the results aren't good. But, most of it is fixable with time and we can stabilize his sugar levels.” He murmured, knowing that he could give her the detailed reports on his exams of some of the students later, in private. There was too much of a chance to be overheard here. “Destiny, not so much sugar.” He added a bit louder, causing the girl to stick her tongue out at him. But she did stop putting sugar in her tea. Six spoonfuls! The child would be awake all night. At least he didn't have to handle getting a hyper twelve year old in bed. Thank the gods!

“Mm. You did other exams today, yes? Were any of them...life-threatening?” She questioned, watching her half of the table with hawk eyes. The counselors and other teachers were spread out amongst them, often sitting in little clumps of twos and threes, but they couldn't see everything from where they sat. She had an advantage sitting here, a necessary one. She glanced at the older man, relaxing slightly when he shook his head. “And the good news?”

“Her blood-work shows hope. Her nerves are already regenerating, but slowly. We need to run a lab test on a sample, first, but if it works out correctly, we should be able to repair the majority of the damage done to her spine. Her magic made a path through the damage so that it can flow easier throughout her body. We can use that path to help her. If it works, and the chance is still about sixty percent here, she might be able to walk again. Even if she never walks, it should stop the constant pain and she will have some mobility.” He murmured softly, watching as the younger woman's eyes lit up. To help this child walk again...that would be amazing.

“I will write your findings to her parents tonight. They agreed to try this method, although I warned them that it might cause her pain at first. The potions and spells will need to be just right and Severus has agreed to start brewing them as soon as we get back tomorrow. I will also work on the design for a magic-powered wheelchair for her. The one we have is not good enough for full-time use.” Alexis nodded, already running through the list of things that needed to be done tonight. It was a long list. But she had faith that it could all be done. They had a trip to make tomorrow and a child to help, first year visits to finish and book-lists that needed to be finalized. But everything would turn out alright. Well...she might strangle her teachers first but other than that, she knew that it was a journey they could manage. Gods willing.


	21. Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter contents, if I remember correctly, two people getting popped. Both are well deserved.

Getting fifty children through breakfast and ready to go was not as hard as expected. But after portkeying them to where the buses were waiting proved that there were difficulties ahead. Many of the children had never seen a bus before; others had seen the Knight's bus and were terrified of it. And still others had ridden muggle buses all their lives. Severus grunted, shaking his head at the teenagers. Why he was on the older bus, he had no idea. Perhaps Alexis was hoping to kill him? At least the adults were equally distributed through both buses but that didn't stop them from distracting him as he tried to remember how to make the bus run. He had driven before, but only once had it been a bus. And that had been years ago, when he was much younger. But the owner had been kind enough to loan them some CD's, with music that was appropriated for the children. “Henry? Could you please put something in that contraption.” He growled over the shouts and giggles, the arguments and loud conversations.

Henry grimaced, digging through the CD collection and finally finding one that wouldn't drive him, or the rest of the adults, insane. He placed it in the player, hitting the play button and turning it up just a bit. Slowly, part of the bus fell silently, but the music couldn't reach the back.

“Oi, Henry! Push the little white circle!”

Severus glanced in the mirror at the boy, recognizing him immediately. He was a muggleborn, hopefully he knew what he was talking about. He nodded to Henry and the man shrugged, pushing the button carefully. Instantly, music filled the bus, coming from speakers from all around. But it wasn't too loud and the children started to settle. And then they realized what was playing. He groaned when the entire bus started to sing. And he would deny it, but he started to sing softly too. A yellow submarine indeed.

-x-

“And where are you going?” She called, frowning at the boy.

He groaned, rolling his eyes. “To the bathroom.” He muttered, hands in his pockets and scuffing his feet. Shopping made him uncomfortable. He could never repay them and he definitely did not need that many pairs of trousers!

Alexis bit back a sigh, eyeing the sixteen year old for a moment. They had broken the children into reasonable groups and then further paired each child up. He shouldn't be alone. “Where's your buddy?” She questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“I'm sixteen for gods sake, Alexis!” He snapped, glaring at the floor for a moment. Why, oh why did she have to spot him?! Couldn't he just hide in the bathroom until time to leave?

“Humour me, Daniel.” She drawled dryly, shaking her head slightly. The large department store that they were in wasn't as busy as it could be, but her crew had filled it up quickly enough. Keeping eyes of fifty children wasn't easy but she knew it could be worse. It would help, however, if they remained where they were suppose to be and didn't try to sneak off.

He huffed, shaking his head. If he couldn't escape to the bathroom, then he'd just find a nice corner to sit in. Somewhere quiet, where there wasn't so many people. He turned to leave, flinching slightly when a hand landed on his shoulder.

“Easy. Relax.” She murmured quietly, gently turning the boy toward her. She maneuvered them both away from the centre of the floor, to a slightly quieter area. “Talk to me, Dan.” She requested softly, keeping her hand gently on his shoulder. She had seen the look in his eyes, when he had turned away. There was much more going on here than a teenager who wanted to relieve himself alone.

“It's fine. Just loud.” He grimaced, not meeting her eyes. There were other children who needed her; she didn't need to worry about him.

“It's not fine if it's bothering you.”

He shrugged, flinching again when fingers gently tugged his chin up. He knew, logically, that she would never harm him but it was instinct. Flight or fight.

She sighed, realizing quickly that she would not get much from him. “Just hang in there for a bit longer, yeah? I hate shopping as well, but we shall leave here soon and head to a bookshop and toy store.” She added quietly, keeping her eyes locked with his until he nodded and managed to drop his eyes.

She had him at bookstore. He would be pleased to leave here but a bookshop? That would be awesome. “I should find Pete, yeah?”He replied finally, glancing back up at her. He would go find his...buddy. Hopefully the other boy was done trying on clothes by now. Pete had been getting aggravated because nothing in their section had fit him. But he wasn't the only one. He had noticed that several of the younger teens had been taken to the children's clothing, some even to the younger children's clothing. Pete would be pissed if he had to shop pre-teen clothes.

“Yes. He was over in the smaller teen sizes last I saw. Make sure you finish your shopping as well. You need shirts, Dan. Ten of them!” She responded, raising an eyebrow when the boy scowled. She knew he hadn't finished his shopping but he would. And if he didn't, she just get his sizes and purchase clothing for him later. They had told all of the children that and if he didn't want clothing that she picked, he needed to actually shop.

He groaned but nodded, finally strolling back over to where his group had been. He needed to find Pete, after all.

-x-

Remus frowned deeply, scanning the aisles quickly. He had the only mixed gender group, as separating them by gender helped keep the group in one area and on the same side of the store. They had shopped for Karrie first, all but underthings which he had gladly turned her over to Ariana's guidance. He hadn't been sure they'd even have anything that would fit the girl, but Ariana had worked a bit of magic, apparently. Finding Teddy and Harry clothing was just as difficult. All three prepubescents were in the children's clothing, not the young teen section. Karrie stuck by him and he had been keeping an eye on the two boys, but now Harry was gone. He didn't see him anywhere in this section. More importantly, he couldn't smell or hear the child. Where the hell had he gone?

-x-

He had been making his way through the store by attaching himself to adults, making it look like he was with them by following just a few feet behind. No one seemed to notice him that way. He was almost to the door, just a bit further and he could leave and then no one would be hurt because of him. Everything would be fine again; he was useless and worthless anyway, so this way nothing bad could happen to those he loved just by being around him. He was nearly there, just a few steps more...

“Mr. Potter!”

He grimaced and darted toward the door, biting back a gasp when a stinging spell hit his bottom. His feet were over the threshold and he was nearly outside when another stinging spell hit. This time he did gasp, his bottom felt like it was on fire! He tripped over the door and tumbled to the ground, throwing his hands out to catch himself. Surprisingly, the impact of the ground didn't hurt at all, it was nearly...soft. He flinched when a hand landed on his shoulder, turning his head to see who had caught him.

Severus glowered down at the boy before lifting him up like a small child and onto his hip. He deftly checked him over with his eyes and hands, noting that the child had been lucky. He was uninjured, except perhaps for the sting to his bottom but that would fade eventually, probably within an hour or two. He gave a reassuring smile to those who looked at them in concern, for it wasn't normal for a child to run away from an adult like that. “He hates shopping, can't say I blame him.” He murmured reassuringly to an older woman who was watching him like a hawk. She relaxed and nodded, turning back to her own shopping. It wasn't surprising that many people glanced at them and then away, that most weren't about to interfere with a parent and his child, no matter how frightened that child might seem. But what made him feel hope were the dozen or so people who watched him closely, watched how he held Harry and how he treated him. People who seemed to care that this child was frightened, who would interfere if they thought he was in danger. And that pleased him. There needed to be more people like that in the world, more people who would step in if they thought a child was in danger. “Tell me why you ran?” He inquired softly, keeping the child on his hip. The boy didn't fight him or try to pull away, instead clinging to him like a younger child might.

“Sorry.” He muttered, burying his face into Severus' shoulder. He was in trouble, his bottom hurt, and now they'd be mad at him. They'd get rid of him.

“That's not what I asked you, Harry.” Severus sighed, rubbing the child's back as he maneuvered them through the store looking for at least a semi-private area.

He grimaced, one small fist grasping a handful of shirt. “Didn't want anyone to get hurt. You can send me back. I understand.” Harry mumbled, almost inaudible. He held tighter to the older man, knowing that he was acting like a baby. He wasn't a kid, he could walk. He was fine. Wasn't he?

“Send you back? To where, Harry? Where would I send you to?” He questioned briskly, stopping in a deserted section but he didn't put the child down. Soon Harry would protest that he was too old to be held like this, even as little as he was. The child fit clothes meant for seven and eight year olds, for Merlin's sake! Granted, he wore clothing from the teen department and Alexis easily fit into younger teen clothing. Thankfully, they both knew shrinking spells and there were some very unique shirts in the teen section, so he didn't mind as much. But still, the child was too small.

“Dursleys.” He whimpered, biting down hard on his lip.

“Never. You are ours, Harry. You belong with us and your sister does as well. We would never give up either of you. Never, understand?” He replied firmly, leaving no room for argument. The small nod against his shoulder wasn't really an answer but he knew that they could discuss this more at home, the four of them. Perhaps Karrie felt the same way, like she wasn't wanted. But they both were wanted and love. More importantly, his magic and Remus' had started the process of forming bonds with both children. Those kids were stuck with them. “What's this about someone getting hurt?” He added suddenly, remembering the other bit the child whispered.

He hesitated, kicking his foot into the air for a moment. He wasn't used to being so still, it was weird. He knew the man would laugh but he might agree with him and decide he did want to get rid of him, even if he said never. He couldn't really mean it, could he? He was just a freak after all. “Everyone around me ends up hurt. I thought...if I left no one would hurt.” He whispered finally voice trembling.

“You are wrong child. We would hurt. You do not cause pain Harry, it is not your fault when accidents happen. We need you and we love you. Remus and I would hurt if you disappeared. So would your friends. So many people would hurt.” Severus remarked softly, hugging the child to him tightly. He felt wetness seeping into his shirt and started to slowly sway back and forth, holding the child to his chest and rubbing his back until he finally calm down. “Shh, Harry. It will all be alright. “ He murmured.

Harry relaxed against the man, finally letting go. Severus loved him. Him. No one had ever loved him before. It made his stomach feel all warm. “Are you mad at me?” He asked finally, leaning back just a bit so he could look at the older man for a moment.

Tear-streaked cheeks and that tone made him seem so young, so vulnerable. The pain in his eyes, though, that was something no child should know. He had seen that pain in so many sets of young eyes of late and he hated that these children hurt so much. “No Harry. I am not 'mad'. I did not, however, appreciate you trying to run from me.” He responded dryly, tapping the boy's bottom gently but not as discipline. No, this was security, safety, comfort...love. The boy had tensed at first but quickly relaxed to the rhythmic tapping. “Better now?” He murmured as the child snuggled closer into his chest. The boy could probably use a nap. He was twelve, yes, but even prepubescents needed rest and comfort.

He nodded tiredly, wrapping both arms completely around Severus' neck. He should be embarrassed for acting like such a baby. But at the moment, he didn't care. He liked the comfort and the warmth of the dark Professor's hold. He felt safe and loved and that was all that matter to him.

He smiled softly down at the head of messy black hair, moving back toward where Remus and the children were. He knew his partner was worried after all. He had been too. They had a long journey ahead, with both their children. But here was hoping they could stay children just a bit longer, that he could hold him for just a bit longer, to reassure himself that the child was safe, that he would heal.

-x-

She took a breath, studying the paper in her hands. The trip had went as well as expected; getting the children to actually buy things for themselves had been difficult and clothes shopping had been frustrating. There wasn't a store for underweight, malnourished teenagers after all. Nor adults, for that matter. But there had only been a few minor incidents and everyone was safe now, back within Hogwarts. She felt safer knowing that all of her children were within the castle. To think that one tried to run away! And then another two started a fight. But honestly, it could have been worse and she knew that. Alexis sighed, summoning a file with a twitch of her hand. She flipped the file open, studying the relevant page for several moments before setting in aside once more. Lucius had managed to get the Weasley child's medical records and she had dug through the infirmary's records, finding the very little bit there was on the boy. His pediatrician's notes were interesting, to say the least. She glanced at her floo, tilting her head slightly as it went off. She raised an eyebrow at the healer, setting the parchment aside. “Eric?”

“I ran the test on the sample. It is safe to try on the child. Severus is brewing the potion now and it shall be ready by tomorrow afternoon. “ He stated quietly, narrowing his eyes slightly. The younger woman was too stressed; there were bags under her eyes, under the glamours, and she looked exhausted.

She nodded, eyes distant for a moment. “I will owl the parents and have the correct forms ready for tomorrow then. Keep me posted.” She dismissed, picking up the parchment again.

“I shall. Is that the child you believed attacked Millicent?” He questioned, ignoring her brief glare. She couldn't get rid of him that easily. He glanced at the parchment, trying to read it upside down.

She sighed, handing over the parchment. Millicent was his patient, he had a right to any information that could help the child, although he wouldn't be involved in the legal process if it ever got that far.

“She told me that she remembers the boy's voice. I think she could identify him.” He commented, reading through the paper quickly. He paused, scanning back over the notes again. The healer had told the child's parents that he was worried for the boy's mental health, that the child was rash and had a tendency to be violent but it had been brushed aside? If they could do a voice test with Millicent and she could identify the boy...he would not be surprised if it was this boy. There were other signs in the file that this boy could have used some form of help, someone to talk to when he was younger.

“Then I will set it up, but it will take time.” If the child could identify the boy by his voice, that would help them immensely. She would just have to speak with Lucius about setting up a voice over and getting a group of teenage boys to speak. The prefects would do nicely, and then if it wasn't the Weasley child, they could see if any of the other prefects matched voice-wise. She took the parchment back and placed it inside the file she had set up for this case, setting it back into her drawer. Alexis moved to do more paperwork, ignoring the man who still watched her. If she ignored him long enough, he would leave.

He hesitated, watching her for a moment. He had helped raised this young woman, had calmed her down when she was upset; he had dried her tears when she had fought with Tim, which was often. He could always tell when she was hiding something. But was this something important, something that could blow up in her face, or something private, a crush or fling? His instincts were telling him that it was the former.

She growled, looking up several minutes later. The man was still studying her, having sat down on one of the chairs in front of her desk. “If you are going to sit there, at least help me get something done.” She snarled, gesturing toward the always full incoming box. There were letters from parents, paperwork, and internal memos in there. It all been sorted into piles but it still had to be dealt with. The important papers, most of them about the children, were all in one pile, organized by what needed to be tended to first. That was the pile she always went to first and the one she was currently still working through. She shoved a pile of unopened mail at him, picking up a note from one of the camp counselors.

Eric merely nodded, absently checking the pendant around his neck. All was calm at the infirmary, no one needed him currently and he had no appointments for a while yet. The wards would alert him if anyone needed his help and Jemma was minding the office at the moment, so he had time to help her out, if nothing else. He opened the first letter, scanning it and raising an eyebrow. It was a message from a student about classes. He sighed, reading through it again before setting it aside and picking up another.

Alexis snorted, shaking her head. She scribbled an answer to the note in her hand, snapping her fingers and it disappeared. She picked up another one and furrowed her brows, tilting her head slightly. Charity's craft ideas were going to be the death of her sanity, and she might have to redecorate after some of them. There was still paint on the ceiling in the now designated craft room! “Remind me to never let Charity run crafts again.” She grunted, scratching out a quick answer to the request.

“What is she doing now?” He inquired, frowning down at the letter in his hand. Five in and he was understanding why she never dealt with the mail if she could help.

“She needs five kilos of flour to make salt dough, as well as food colouring and twenty kilos of dried beans to make 'masterpieces'. She also wants coloured sand, plaster...and to make slime. Slime. With the cauldrons.” She snorted, tapping the parchment with her wand. It vanished and would appear on the woman's desk. She had told the woman that she had to ask Severus if they could use the cauldrons because she was certainly not doing it. But Alexis had approved everything else. She just didn't want her brother hexing her for such a silly suggestion.

He chuckled, pulling yet another letter out of its envelope. There were way too many letters left to be read. He scanned the letter and froze, glancing up at the young woman for a moment before reading it through again, slowly this time. Eric leaned back, lowering the parchment and turning concerned hazel eyes to rest on the woman. She was writing a response to something, frowning in thought. If she had been hiding this...but the only way to know was to ask. “Alexis.” He called sternly, causing gray eyes to automatically snap up to him.

She raised an eyebrow, frowning slightly at him before setting down her quill. That was a tone that never boded well; Eric never raised his voice, instead he used that tone, the one that clearly stated that he was upset or angry. “Sir?”

“Who wants you dead?”

She grimaced, closing her eyes for a moment and holding her hand out for the letter. She took a deep breath, opening her eyes and scanning the parchment before handing it back to him. “No one.” She lied easily, shrugging. “Probably just a joke.” She held his gaze for a moment before turning back to her work.

“Don't you dare lie to me.” He hissed, eyes snapping.

She sighed, toying with her quill for a moment before finishing what she had started. “I have work to do, Eric.” She replied, not bothering to look at him. She would lose her resolve if she did.

He snapped his fingers and the papers in front of her rose, landing in a neat stack out of the way. “There will always be work. Must I really call Tim and Filius?” He drawled dangerously, arching a brow at the younger woman. Why she could never comprehended that her health and safety were important was beyond him.

Alexis flinched, studying her desk intently. “I- that's not necessary, no.” She murmured quietly, biting her lip.

She looked so much younger in moments like this, it reminded him that she was still so young. “Talk to me.” He responded softer, gentler now.

“There are a lot of people who would like me dead. One of them tried, if you remember correctly. I recall you and Tim springing me from the hospital and not letting me out of your sight for a week. I survived that time, I will be just fine now. It is just a letter, Eric. Just a stupid letter.” She growled finally, clenching her fists for a moment and forcing her magic to stay under her control. She had received a few threats lately but they were not important. As long as no one attempted to harm her children, everything was alright. It would be alright, with time.

“I remember how close to death you came last time. That won't happen again. You are too important and these children need you. I won't allow you to put yourself in harms way nor to go through this alone.” Eric stated briskly, shaking his head slightly. He would have to tell Filius and Tim, but that could wait for the moment. They would know by the end of the day, because this was not something he could hide or let go.

She growled, baring her teeth for a moment. She took a deep breath, forcing her mind and magic to calm. She glared at him for a moment, her hand snapping out, fire consuming a nearby chair. The phoenix landed on her shoulder, crooning softly into her ear.

_“Calm kit. Let him help you.”_ Fawke ordered inside the young mage's mind. He could only communicate with those bound to the Castle's magic. The Headmistress and her Deputy. But mostly the Headmistress, the young woman in front of him. The kit who channeled Her magic like it was nothing but a river flowing through her veins. The kit who knew to release her frustration and anger, instead of letting the magic build up in and around her; who knew that the buildup hurt Her, weakened her. Whereas the released energy strengthened Her wards, made Her stronger, better. He had explained that to the young mage to first time she tried to hide her emotions. She still hid them but only until she was alone, releasing her anger and grief to lessen the burden of Her magic. The young sorceress had much to learn still but she would get there, if only she would ask for help, spread the burden. That had been the last Headmaster's downfall; but this kit was different. She cared and that was what mattered. She would do whatever it took to save Hogwarts, to keep Her magic running and Her students safe. _“You are not invincible. Help will strengthen you as you strengthen Her.”_

Alexis snorted, shaking her head at the phoenix for a moment. _“As you wish, Wise One.”_ She scratched his head with affection for a moment, turning liquid silver eyes to rest on the dark-skinned healer. She had always thought of him as the fun uncle, the one who was always there to comfort her, to make her laugh and smile. Not that Tim didn't do those things, he did, but Eric was just so gentle and calm. She hated that look in his eyes, the one that made her feel a few centimeters tall. He was disappointed and upset, angry. Sad. Emotions she hated to see in his eyes, hated to have put there. She took a deep breath, hating the words she would say next. She didn't like asking for help, it was a bad habit from when she was younger and she never gotten over it. “You are right. I cannot do this alone. I try but...too much depends on me. I cannot afford to break nor will Her magic allow it.” She drawled finally, biting her lip and looking away.

He understood what she wasn't saying; the slight pleading tone was more than enough to give it away. “ _We_ will help you, Alexis. You are not alone anymore. We will be the walls to hold you up. If you just let us in.” Eric answered softly, feeling magic stir around him. It was not the binding magic of an oath but the gentle caress of Hogwarts, magic he had come to feel occasionally over the last few weeks. He was only slightly jealous to know that the younger woman felt that magic constantly, because he knew that she also felt the castle's pain and anger; she felt when its students and staff suffered. More importantly, she cared deeply about all of them, even without the added magic.

She merely nodded, leaning back and closing her eyes for a moment. She was tired and honestly a bit frighten, although she would never admit it. For she did not worry what someone might want to do to her, but what they would do to her children and what would happen to her children if something happened to her. She knew who was after her and perhaps tonight when her family gathered in her quarters, she would tell them. Because she couldn't do it alone and Fawkes would peck her if she tried. Not to mention what Filius and Tim would do. She opened her eyes slowly, nodded at him once more and turned back to work. She knew he would stay, until he was needed anyway, and that was alright with her.

-x-

Remus sighed, shifting through the parchment on his lap. He was attempting to finish his lesson plans so he could write an accurate book list for each year and have his syllabuses done. But he kept glancing over at the three children sprawled on the floor, kept sneaking photos of them whenever he could. Their attention was fixed completely on the game they were currently playing. After three rounds of playing 'dragons', the boys had asked Karrie what she wanted to play. And so they were on the floor playing Pretty Pretty Princess, because he had seen the child eyeing the game with longing, had known that she had never been allowed it when she was little. So he had bought it, slipped it into his and Severus' purchases. The school had about six copies of this board game now, as he had also bought one for the Gryffindor toy, game, and book shelf. He'd be damned if those children were going to run wild and get into mischief because they had no toys or games to entertain themselves with. Many brought stuff from home, but not all of them. And he knew that the other Houses all had those shelves, all had sections specifically for each age group, to offer them comfort and activity. To help with home sickness and to create bonding between housemates. He had seen the children currently residing here bond through shared activities, interests, and situations. They held an understanding and acceptance of each other; they could relate easily to each other. And he had seen mixed groups of all ages and genders, children who found solace in the familiar. These three had bonded easily and now there were two preteen boys wearing jewelry to make their friend smile. The boys did seem to be enjoying themselves, letting go of their outer shells and masks, just for a moment, and letting their childishness shine through.

Severus raised an eyebrow, stepping out of the floo unnoticed. Remus was smiling down at their children and the children were arguing. He was smiling at them arguing? He paused, standing silently to listen for a moment.

“I don't want the black ring!”

“But you got it!”

“Take it!”

“Give it to Karrie!”

“T _eddy._ ”

“Well, I don't want it!”

“Aw, dammit. Do I hafta keep it?”

“Duh.”

“Harry, language please.” Remus scolded, causing the boy to grimace and Karrie to stick out her tongue. He shook his head at their antics, glancing at his lover. He had noticed the man the moment he stepped into the room. Because although Severus could blend in with anything, could go unnoticed everywhere, he could not hide his scent. Not from the wolf in him.

He smirked, watching the pouting black-haired boy and the giggling black-haired girl. The brown-haired child had two necklaces around his neck and was twisting another tightly around his wrist. He glanced at the board game and fought back a snort, shaking his head. He had a feeling that he would get talked into being a pretty princess soon enough. But it would be worth it if he could get a picture of Remus with gaudy necklaces and a tiara on his head. He caught Remus' eyes, giving a slight nod at the other man's inquiring look. He had spent the last two hours arguing with Alexis. Arguing over paperwork, organizing class schedules, the new point system, her lack of care for herself, arguing for the sake of arguing. Honestly, they could argue for days over nothing if they chose. But he had learned some things of interest from her. Severus inclined his head toward the kitchen, giving the children one last amused glance before striding into the small kitchenette.

Remus set his paperwork away, standing and stepping easily around sprawled out preteens. Three sets of eyes gazed up at him briefly, relaxing and returning to their game when he gave them a reassuring smile and a brief nod. He stepped into the kitchenette, silently observing his partner putting on water for tea. He moved swiftly, noiselessly, wrapping an arm around the man's waist. He pulled the slightly younger man against him, nuzzling his neck for a moment.

He leaned his head back to rest on the other man's shoulder. “The children could walk in at any moment.” He murmured before turning his head and trapping the other man's lips. Not that he actually cared if the children saw them. They would never do anything inappropriate where the children could find them and their bedroom was warded when they were being deeply intimate.

He kissed him back, staring into onyx eyes for a long moment before breaking the kiss with a chuckle. “I can hear them now. 'Ew, gross'.” Remus teased, kissing the man again and nipping lightly at his lip. He turn Severus' body easily, so that their chests were pressed together. Long arms looped around his neck, the other man tilting his head back so that their eyes met for a moment. The kiss that followed was passionate and comforting.

“My eyes, my eyes.” Bain groaned, moving pass the two men to the ice box. He rummaged in the cold chest for a moment, finding a pitcher of juice and some hidden brownies. He sniffed one, deemed it safe and took a large bite, summoning a glass with his wand. He snorted, glancing at the two men again, before pouring his juice and, balancing the entire container of brownies and the glass, moved to leave the small kitchen.

“Whoa. Not so fast kid.” Remus easily grabbed the container of brownies, shaking his head. “Do you wish to start a riot?” He questioned, pulling away from his partner to study the teenager. The young man had been in and out of the lab all afternoon, appearing only to use the bathroom or, after Sev had left, at regular intervals to let him know he was still alive.

“No eating in the lab.” Severus drawled, raising an eyebrow at the boy. Really, he was going to spoil his dinner if he ate all that. Even if he shared it with the children.

“Compensation.” Bain shrugged, reaching for the container and grinning at the two men.

“For?” Remus arched a brow of his own, frowning at the child. Compensation?

He snorted, smirking now. “For burning that image in my eyes, thanks. Didn't need to see my Master and his partner _snogging_.” It was actually funny really. He never thought he'd catch the two being so carefree and positively loving to each other. He only hoped to find someone he cared about like that. One day. When he was older, much older. And if Alexis had anything to say about it, he'd be like fifty. Uck.

He chuckled, shaking his head at the boy's antics. “Off with you boy.” He growled playfully, summoning a plate and the box of brownies. He placed four onto it and held the plate out to the teenager. “Share those.” Severus ordered, smirking at the child. An impish grin was his only answer as the boy grabbed the plate and darted away before he could change his mind. He turned back toward his partner, arching a brow at the man. “Now, where were we?” He purred silkily, watching the older man shiver delicately.

Remus groaned, sinking into that melting kiss for a moment before pulling away. “You were just about to tell me about your meeting.” He reminded reluctantly, grinning at the other man's pout. “Severus.” He sighed, stepping fully away and moving to finish the tea.

“Spoil sport.” He growled under his breath, moving to get two mugs from the cabinet. He became somber quickly, returning his thoughts to the meeting with the Headmistress. The potion would be ready by tomorrow afternoon, it had to brew for several hours after the last step was finished. If all went well, the girls nerves should slowly start to regenerate, although it would take a few days for any progress to become evident. They would know by the weekend if it was going to work at all. Hopefully, it would. And then Alexis had processed to warn him to prepare for a heated discussion that evening. “As well as expected.” He shrugged, finally.

He raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the cabinet to observe the man. “Did you accomplish anything besides arguing?” Remus questioned quietly, knowing how those two were together. Honestly, they argued like they had been raised together, not hundreds of miles apart.

He sighed, looking away for a long moment. “Yes. I will tell you tonight.” He murmured finally, glancing toward the living room full of children. His partner nodded in understanding and he relaxed slightly, taking a deep breath. They had a long road to travel but they would get there in the end. He wasn't Deputy for nothing, after all.

-x-

She paced her quarters restlessly for a moment, not bothering to look at any of the men taking up space on her furniture. They were silent, waiting. When Eric had brought up the letters, she had snapped at him. And maybe she shouldn't have. Maybe growling that she knew who wanted her dead had been a bad decision. But they would find out eventually, and now they would just wait, knowing that she would talk when she was ready. But was she ready? Was she really? Revealing herself to these men, to these five who she considered family...but it was something she could do. She knew that. Because they loved her and her boys loved her. Her boys who were all currently in their group meetings, even Bain who had went reluctantly. And there was a silencing ward around the room, just as a precaution. But that didn't make this any easier. Truthfully, the men could probably guess the answer but she knew, she just knew, that they wanted to hear it from her lips. She took a deep breath, finally turning to face them. Alexis let her eyes wander for a moment, finding onyx eyes with ease. She could do this. She kept her eyes locked with Severus, knowing that he understood exactly why she was focusing on him. Because if she looked at Filius or Tim, or even Eric, she would lose her will. She wouldn't be able to start. “My foster father has wanted to regain custody of me since I first managed to escape. Now, he can do no such thing. So he wants me dead. Better dead and silenced if not under his control.” She shrugged, tone and expression completely emotionless. She had always locked down all feelings of him, locked them away. Now was not the time to stop doing so.

He growled softly, calming slightly at his partner's hand resting gently on his arm. He and Eric had known, of course, that the girl was hunted in her home country. When she had first came to them and they had assessed what damage had been done to her, physically and mentally, they had decided to stay at their home in France. Eric wouldn't let him leave for nearly a month, fearing that he would kill the man. And that was only with the scans! Once she had started talking and they had started to teach her English...he had wanted to harm him. To make him suffer as she had. But Eric had stopped him, reminding him that the child needed them there, that harming the bastard wouldn't help her. He also might had ignored him and his warning...but he hadn't done any damage to the _man_ , if he could even call him that. Which was perhaps the only reason he didn't end up sleeping on the couch, even if he did end up sleeping on his stomach. Not that Alexis even knew that he had met her so called _foster father_ nor would the man remember him. “He cannot harm you here, he must realize this.” He remarked finally, breaking the long, tense silence. Tim could feel the anger rolling off of Filius and Remus had bared his teeth. The wolf in the man was closer to the surface than he normally allowed. Interesting.

Severus kept his eyes locked on his sister, inclining his head slightly and beckoning to her. Remus was tense beside him and he knew the slightly older man would relax only if he knew for a fact that Alexis was safe. When Remus had asked for his hand, this past winter, he had knowingly accept Alexis into their family, into their 'pack'. And in the pack mentality, Alexis was theirs. Any threat to her was a threat to the pack. One of the reasons he was quite glad the children were not around. Because the look in his partner's eyes was frightening. His partner only deferred to two others: Filius and Eric, which was slightly surprising. But then, Remus knew the healer much better than he did, as he only knew Eric from a brief few meetings and only as Tim's partner. Although, that was rapidly changing. He beckoned to Alexis again, giving her a slight, reassuring nod, before sliding over and making room between him and Remus on the couch. The other man would remain furious until the wolf inside was reassured.

She kept her eyes locked on his, making slow, automatic steps toward him. Once Alexis was close enough, a hand caught her and pulled her down onto the couch, nestled safely between her brother and his mate. Severus might be controlling and demanding in his work life, his job was dangerous enough to require it to an extent, but she knew that Remus was the dominate one in their relationship. The wolf inside the man demanded it and once he had stopped fighting it, he was able to control in much more than he had once feared. The man that was currently sniffing at her possessively. The first time he had done that, she had not been pleased and had tried to get away from him. Not because she feared him, she didn't, but because she had thought it was weird. And she had been a bit younger then and a lot more private. The last time he had done such, she had scared him and Severus. He had sniffed her as he did now, reassuring himself that she was present and fine, before swatting her. And then lecturing. God the lecturing! But he had agreed not to tell Filius, so she had just listened to it. This time, she sat perfectly still, not moving until he nodded. She was fine, she would be fine. The two men flanking her would not allow any harm to come to her. And the three men watching them with piercing stares would prevent anyone from even coming close.

“You should have told us sooner, Alexis.” Filius remarked calmly, hiding his fear and anger with ease. For he was afraid that someone would try to take one of his children away, that someone would harm her. He was angry that someone wanted to hurt his child. But he was also angry at her for hiding this from them, from him; for brushing it off like it was nothing. For lying to him. But he understood, even if he didn't like it. She wasn't used to other people taking care of her, to allowing others in. Even if that was what they had spent years trying to accomplish. He had had this girl under his wings for just over two years now, and yet she still didn't trust him enough to come to him with this. He was planning to adopt her but she couldn't trust him. It made his heart hurt, an old ache that reminded him of his wife of long ago. “Do you trust us so little, to hide this from us? To lie to our faces?” He asked softly, dangerously. The younger woman, and her brother, shivered.

She grimaced, moving to stand back up so that she could pace again but a hand caught her wrist. She glared at the man, baring her teeth for a moment.

Remus raised an eyebrow, not letting go of the bony wrist nor releasing the pressure, although he was careful not to place too much pressure on bones that were surely frail. “Stay.” He ordered lowly.

“I'm not a fucking dog Remus!” She snarled, sneering at him. She hid a grimace when brown eyes darkened to gold and narrowed, when the older man bared his own teeth in a silent growl. Damn. Hadn't she tested him before, as she had tested every single person in that room, and seen what happened when she did? She knew better than to push him too hard, knew how far she could push him. And she had crossed that line. Oops.

Severus sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. He had seen that look in his partner's eyes and he knew that look quite well. He grimaced at the loud smack that rang out in the deadly silent room and felt his sister flinch. She had challenged him, when she already knew that he was on edge, that they were all on edge. She knew better, but perhaps it was what she needed. A reminder that they cared about her, in good times and bad, when she misbehaved and disobeyed, and when she fought against them. He knew why she pushed them away, why she hid things like this. Because she believed it was too good to be true, that someone could actually love her and care about her, let alone a group of people would. And he knew this quite well, because he often felt the same. But Remus reminded him every day with his kisses and gentle touches that it was real, and Filius reminded him with his words, with the firm pat to his arm, and that look in his eyes. He opened his eyes, glancing at the girl beside him. Her eyes were focused on the floor, blushing slightly and rubbing her leg. He grimaced in solidarity, knowing how much Remus' hand could hurt. His partner was strong.

“Alexis.”

She blinked, staring blankly at the floor for a moment, not daring to look up at the man on her right. But Merlin, that had hurt! Granted, she knew it could be worse. Remus would never hurt her, not if he could help it. Her thigh stung but she had had much worse when she was younger. “Sir?” She responded softly, biting the inside of her cheek.

“Do not speak to me like that again.” He warned quietly, knowing that only she, and Severus, would hear.

“Yes sir.” Alexis whispered, hating the fact that she instinctively deferred to him. She was his boss, so why did she defer to him? Why did she obey him? She was headmistress! She shouldn't have to obey anyone, she was an adult and she was in control. Right? She hissed suddenly, feeling the castle's reaction. She was wrong and Hogwarts knew it. In school matters, he deferred to her. They _all_ deferred to her. But in family matters...she was the youngest, she wasn't in charge, nor could she be. She had too great of a responsibility to lead the family. Yes, she had her children and her magic was bonding to them and she was responsible for them, and all of Hogwarts children, but she couldn't head the 'pack'. She knew that; better yet, her magic knew that. She could not hold both the school's magic and familial magic, her body couldn't channel both. Perhaps that was why most of the previous headmasters and mistresses had not had families of their own, or if they did they were not the Head of that family. She looked up suddenly, taking a deep breath and focusing purely on the magic. Her eyes scanned the room, finding the threads of magic she had never thought to look for, the magic the connected them as family. Threads wove around the room, different colours and different lights, with five strands vanishing through the floor. Those would be the children, then. Although Severus and Remus had not had the bonding ceremony yet, their magic was wrapped tightly around the other's, each strand barely separating at all. She could clearly see the threads linking Remus to Eric, just as she could see the ones linking herself to Eric and Tim. A darker, thicker thread linked her and Severus, twining together to link them both to Filius. All the threads eventually led to Filius and the magic marked him quite clearly as the Head of the Family. Even Tim and Eric were linked to him. But then why...ah. The magic thicken, showing her clearly what she wanted to know. It flowed throughout the room, changing hues as it went, easily marking the familial bond. Filius, then Eric, and then Remus. And one day, as Filius grew older, he would pass the bond to Remus to hold; the man, not that much her senior, would be head of the family. Even if it was years in the future, her magic recognized that. It made sense then, the need, the want, to obey them. Her magic needed it, to keep the connection. It was different when she was acting as Headmistress, but when she was Filius' daughter...the magic demanded the connection to stay. She couldn't sever it even if she wanted to and she didn't want to. The lost of such magic would be devastating to all of them. Huh, it was something to study further though.

He nudged her gently, causing startled gray eyes to blink and meet his for a moment. “I believe Filius wanted an answer.” He reminded kindly, forcing the wolf in him to stay calm. He had seen that brief, distant look in her eyes and knew instantly that she was observing magic. Perhaps, their magic. He had heard, from Tim, that their familial bond was unique, intense, and a bit odd. But then again, it _was_ their family. He watched her hesitate with a suppressed sigh, her hand absently rubbing her thigh. Remus hated that he had caused that pain, but he also knew it had been necessary. It had also calmed his magic quickly. Filius had given him books, recently, about familial magic, so he understood why he reacted like that and he knew that the monster...no, the wolf, inside of him demanded that he do so, that she obey him. He would obey her in school matters, but here she was not in charge. She was lucky that he had only smacked her thigh, instead of taking her across his knee or, gods forbid, biting her to show dominance. Before he had gained complete control that was often how it showed itself; he had often reacted as a wolf, instead of a man. And this close to the full moon... it would have been easy to slip. But his will was much stronger.

Alexis grimaced, turning her eyes to her papa. “I didn't want to worry you. I thought I could handle it.” She admitted softly, dropping her eyes to her lap. She had thought she could handle it, she could handle it. She just had to protect her students. But perhaps she didn't have to protect them alone. Isn't that what Fawkes had tried to tell her, after all? That she wasn't in this alone. That had been the downfall of previous Headmasters; the power had went to their head and they had stopped caring about the students, the staff and the magic. But that wouldn't happen with her. She wouldn't let it; more to the point, these men around her wouldn't allow it. She took a deep breath, finally looking back up at him. “I have received threats since the moment I became of legal age. They stopped phasing me a while ago and, until now, they have been empty threats. I am more worried about the safety of the students than about myself. I am, after all, quite capable of defending myself. I am sure the lot of you have heard that story, so details are unimportant.” She drawled, grimacing slightly at the thought. It was still a painful memory, one she tried to not think about.

“The students are safe as long as they are within the wards. We will just have to up patrols during Hogsmeade weekends and school trips.” Severus remarked quietly, turning the subject quickly away from his sister. Perhaps she could protect herself, but that didn't mean they would not protect her also. He also knew she was overwhelmed at the moment; the five of them ganging up on her wouldn't help.

“We will keep your students safe, Alexis. No need to worry there.” Tim added, shaking his head slightly. He knew exactly what the two youngest were doing and he knew Filius wasn't happy about it. But the man could speak with them later, after they all had calmed down. He didn't like it either, that she was in danger. That that bastard was still after her, after all these years. He should have done something years ago...but he couldn't change that now. And he was needed here, to help with the students. They all were. None of them could afford to go off after a man quite capable of vanishing into thin air.

Filius frowned, arching a brow slightly. He didn't like it but he knew when to let it go. He was not happy about her lack of concern for herself, but there was very little he could do about that. He had thought that he had installed even a slight belief that her life was worth something back when he had first started to care for the younger woman. Clearly, not. But that was alright. He knew, with time, that they would teach the young Headmistress exactly how much she meant to them and her student. They would just have to get through this first. Gods willing.

-x-


	22. Consequences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter also has mentions of a smacking in it, near the very end.

He grunted, swinging his arm back to punch the tree once more. He froze at the gentle touch to his wrist, immediately locking down his emotions. Bain spun suddenly, his fist spinning out instantly. Instinct. Fight or flight. His eyes widen in surprise, even as his punch was blocked with ease. He took a hesitant step back, letting his arm drop back to his side. Or trying to anyway. A hand gently grasped his wrist, turning it and assessing the damage with just the tap of a wand. He had almost hit his...guardian? Mother? What was she to him, really?

Alexis sighed softy, shaking her head at the state of the boy's wrist. Three days since Eric had healed the first fracture and the boy had managed to fracture his right hand again. If he kept this up, he would do permanent damage to the bones and nerves in his hand. Magic could only repair so much, after all. Which is what made this afternoon so nerve-wrecking. Because the potion would be ready in a few hours and Severus would administer it to the child. They had requested to try it at Hogwarts first, in case something went wrong, and little Mia's parents had agreed. She would have to leave to get them in a couple of hours but right now, she was not worried about that. No, she was much more worried about the teenaged boy who seemed to be taking his anger out on every tree in this courtyard. She healed the damage to his hand, although it would need to be wrapped so that natural healing could finish the job, before releasing his wrist. “Fractured again. That's the second time this week, Bain.” She remarked dryly, raising an eyebrow at the boy.

He shrugged, shifting anxiously for a moment. He didn't know what she wanted him to say, what he was suppose to say. He was used to broken bones, after all, and a fracture was nothing compared to what he had suffered in the past. The pain was even refreshing in a way; it was a sharp contrast to pain in his head, to the anger he felt, to the emptiness and the hopelessness. But he didn't hurt himself, that wasn't who he was. He couldn't harm himself, not like Teddy did. But he did hit things; better trees than people, yeah?

“You have also not seen your counselor more than once, which is unacceptable. If you do not like Paul, there are other counselors. You cannot keep skipping those meetings, Bain.” She drawled silkily, frowning at the boy. It was concerning, actually, that the boy would speak to no one. Even if the children didn't talk about what happened to them, having someone there for them, willing to listen to them, often helped in its own way. The red-head could not build trust with a man he had only spoken to once and he rarely spoke to her or Severus about what was bothering him. Even Eric, who was quite good at getting children to open up, had managed to get very little from him. He wouldn't even attend his group meetings, although she did understand that at least. He was a seventh year, the only one within the castle so far this summer.

“Paul is fine.” Bain shrugged, emotionless. He wouldn't go even if he had a different counselor. He didn't need a counselor. He was fine, perfectly fine. At least, that was what he wanted to believe. He knew otherwise but he took up too much of her time. She had bigger concerns than himself and he had a group of preteens to find. He had promised to fly with them, after all.

And she had thought Elijah was at the difficult age. She couldn't help him unless he let her in, unless he stopped pretending. But perhaps he didn't know how, perhaps he didn't understand why she would care. Alexis knew she had been that way once...well, if she was honest with herself, and she tried to always be honest with herself, she was still that way sometimes. After all, wasn't that how she had reacted the night before? She remembered quite clearly how she finally came to realize that they did care. It was not just their words but their actions, even if she hadn't liked all of it. “Bain, Kind, nein. No. It is not fine. This cannot continue.” She responded, quieter, gentler this time. She met blue eyes firmly, until those eyes dropped to shuffling feet.

He grimaced, biting his lip for a moment. “Why not?” He growled, haltingly meeting her eyes once more. Why couldn't they all just leave him alone? No one had ever cared before! Well, perhaps that wasn't true. Filius and Severus had cared and he knew they still did. And his brother...his brother used to care. Maybe he still did. He didn't know.

“You are harming yourself. By keeping it all locked inside, you are causing damage to yourself. You do not have to do this alone, Bain. I will not let you go through this alone.” She sighed softly, reaching out a gentle hand to rest on his shoulder. The boy flinched but she paused, waiting until he was steady once more before clasping her hand gently to his shoulder and leaving it there.

He wasn't harming himself! What Teddy did was harmful, what he did wasn't. Not at all. Was it? How could it be? After all, keeping his emotions locked inside was something he had been doing for years. And yes, sometimes he lost his temper, but it wasn't really harmful. Bain scowled, glaring at the older woman for a moment. But he didn't pull away from her touch, didn't shrug her hand off his shoulder. If anything, he leaned into the gentle, firm hand. Because it made him feel safe. He just didn't understand why it did so. “I don't harm myself.” He snapped finally, meeting warm silver eyes for a long moment, before looking away. It was funny that he was slightly taller than her now, taller than Severus even. But not by much and he still wasn't as tall as Eric. He still had quite a few centimeters to go but he was also still growing. And he hated that. Hated that it made his limbs awkward and that they still viewed him as a child. He wasn't no damn child!

Alexis merely raised an eyebrow, letting her gaze rest pointedly on his wrist for a moment. “You may not actively cause physical harm to yourself, but by locking everything inside you are doing harm to yourself. Keeping your anger, pain, and sadness bottled in doesn't help, Bain. Let me help you, please. Don't lock yourself away from me.” She responded softly, letting her worry show through in her tone. She could not lose one of her children, she just couldn't. She was there to protect and care for her wards and that is what she would do. Granted, that was every child within the walls of Hogwarts; but that was also her three boys, her three sons. If they would just let her in.

“The others need you.” He grimaced, pulling away. He didn't understand why she would care for him, worry about him. The others, the children, needed her. He was not important. He knew that.

“As do you, mein liebes Sohn.”

Bain blinked, turning back to the woman. He didn't have to understand what she said to understand her meaning. There was so much _love_ in her voice, so much care...and she had called him _son_. His own father had never called him that, not that he had been much of a father. He met concerned, love-filled eyes for a moment before looking away. He wasn't used to that, he didn't even understand why. Why him? He was nothing, no one. Absolutely no one. Worthless. Damaged.

“Nein Kind, no. You are not.” She touched a hand to his face, ignoring the flinch. His face had clearly displayed his emotions, for once, and he had been projecting, although he probably didn't realize that. “You are not damaged nor worthless. You are _mine._ My son.” She added firmly, resting her other hand back on his shoulder, still softly stroking the boy's cheek.

He stared at her blankly for a moment, feeling the tug of her magic, the feel of it against his. He had felt the bond between them before, but rarely. Because he had rarely acknowledged it for what it was. He had paid more attention to the apprentice-master bond he had with Severus, because he had known that was real, it was fact. But never the bond with his headmistress. Because although it was real to him, he had thought that she couldn't possibly care for him, that she couldn't want _him_. But maybe she did. Maybe she wouldn't mind being his... “Mum.” He whispered, almost to himself.

She chuckled, opening her arms to him. If she achieved nothing else with him this day, at least she had managed this. At least he would finally understand, finally know, that magic had bond them. That she wanted to be his mother, to take care of and worry about him. To love him. To give him what he needed and what he never had. To give him what he wanted and set reasonable rules and boundaries. To keep him safe, just as he instinctively tried to keep his 'brothers' safe.

Bain hesitated for a moment, staring at the woman with hopeful blue eyes. When she didn't turn away, didn't push him away, he haltingly moved toward her. He finally just gave in, stepping into the hug and feeling her magic cocoon around him. He felt safe but mostly, he felt _loved_. It was different from the relationship with his Master and that was alright with him.

Alexis wrapped strong arms around the lanky youth, holding him tightly. She would hold her children as often as they would let her; would offer them that comfort as often as it had once been offered to her. She knew she would have to get him to speak to her or Severus, anyone, soon, but for the moment, she was just content to hug her eldest son, for as long as he would let her.

-x-

“Boys! Enough!” Eric snapped, pulling the two teenagers apart with ease of practice. He kept between the two boys, scanning each of them with his eyes for a moment. A split lip, a bruised cheek; minor injuries, as far as he could see. But he also knew teenaged boys, there could be unseen injuries to either of them. He removed his wand slowly, deliberately, frowning at the two flinches but casting a simple diagnostic spell anyway. “What happened?” He questioned, stepping back slightly so that he could see both of their faces.

“Nothing sir.” They chorused together, the smaller one glaring at the slightly bigger one.

He arch a brow at them, turning his gaze to focus on Elijah for a long moment. The boy squirmed, grimacing and looked away quickly.

“Just a misunderstanding sir.” Elijah muttered finally, glancing at the slightly smaller boy. It had been a misunderstanding. The younger boy had thought he had been insulting him, but he hadn't. He had been _defending_ him. Perhaps he shouldn't have called him little, but Nick was little. Littler than him, anyway, and much smaller that Derek. Even if the other boy was bigger than Teddy; he wasn't that much bigger.

“I see. Nikolaas?” He turned his gaze to the smaller of the two boys, raising an eyebrow at the results. Had Elijah even _hit_ the younger boy back? Clearly he had, he had seen him fighting back, but there was so few injuries on the smaller child and all of those injuries were minor. Compared to the bruises covering Elijah...he had a feeling those bruises weren't all from _this_ fight, if any of them were. Some of them seemed more likely to have occurred from a fall.

The blond haired boy blinked, looking up at the healer. Few people ever pronounced his name right, fewer still said it accented. “Weet je Nederlands?” He questioned automatically, forgetting to phrase the question into English. But the warmth in those brown eyes showed that his question was more than just fine, it was understood.

“Ja, bij mij kommen later. Wij praten.” Eric replied quietly, crouching to be on eye level with the small teenager. The offer to talk to the boy in the child's native tongue was one he made easily, and would make to any other student who missed hearing their language. He did, after all, still speak to Alexis in German often, even though the woman's English was quite good now. He watched the child's eyes light up and he smiled softly at him, before easily switching back to English. “It is rude, Nikolaas, to switch languages in the middle of a conversation, especially if part of the group does not speak that language. You know this.” He chided softly, but it honestly didn't bother him any and the child would realize that.

“Sorry Eric.” Nick shrugged, letting his happiness show. He finally had someone to speak to! He missed it, missed his language so much. But after his Grandma had passed away, he had been passed from relative to relative until he ended up with his father. Which is how he ended up here this summer. Three years with his father had made him malnourished, underweight and short. It had also made him afraid of shadows and willing to fight his way out of anything. Because he had nothing to lose, right? What was worse, to him anyway, was that he had known love for nearly ten years, had been raised in love. To suddenly be hated and beaten...it almost made him wish to not know what love felt like, because he had missed that love so much. He had missed someone caring for him and protecting him. Perhaps, in a way, he had that type of care here; perhaps he might even find a family to love him like his grandmother did. Even if he didn't, he knew he was safe here. Mostly, anyway. What had caused this scuffle, as it wasn't really a fight, he had mostly been hitting and kicking Elijah and Elijah had mostly been stopping his blows, was a bully. He had been shoved down and so he had jumped to his feet, but before he could fight back, because his cousins had taught him how to fight back, Elijah was there. And Elijah had told the other boys to pick on someone their own size, not to mess with the little kids. But he wasn't a little kid! He wasn't a kid, anyway. He knew he was little; even without the starvation he had been small. He just didn't like being called little. It made him sound weak and he wasn't weak! No matter what that bastard of a father said! “Elijah called me little.” He added finally, meeting the tall man's eyes. Eric towered over him and it would have made him uncomfortable, but the man always lowered himself to their level. Always.

Eric forced back a chuckle, shaking his head slightly. He was quite sure that wasn't the whole truth but that was alright. It was something and he could probably guess the rest. But there was something he needed to fix first. “You _are_ little, Nikolaas. But you will not remain little, as you are due a growth spurt soon. There is nothing wrong with being small though, sometimes I wished I was smaller. But not when I was young, because I was also the smallest of my class when I was your age.” He remarked firmly, smirking at both of the teenagers. It was true, of course. He had once been that small and he had grown to be just over 190 centimeters. But he also knew that the younger boy would not grow to be that tall, not even close.

“Yes sir. May I go?” Nick requested, grimacing slightly. He so wanted to grow, and soon. He hated being the smallest of his year group. Even some of the healthy twelve year olds were taller than him! But if the healer said he would grow, he'd grow. He liked Master Eric, the man never fussed or treated him like a child. He just spoke to them like equals. And he was wise enough to know that it was rare for an adult to do that, at least the adults he had known.

“You may. Stay out of trouble, please. No more fights.” Eric ordered, watching the boy for a moment. He didn't really need healing, besides that lip. With a gentle touch of his finger, the boy's split lip was healed and the child grinned up at him, turning to dash off. “Nikolaas. Don't forget what I said. You may come speak to me, in any language, any time you wish.” He called. A wave and a cheeky grin was his only answer. He turned back to the child left with him, the one who he had placed a hand on his shoulder, to keep him there. “You tried to defend him, Elijah?” He questioned quietly, glancing at the boy. He beckoned to him, heading down the hallway. He wanted to assess the child's bruises, some of them had came back as severe, and that wasn't something he could do in the hallway.

“I don't need the hospital wing.” Elijah snapped, glaring at the older man. He did follow though, reluctantly. He didn't need Alexis to find out that he had been ignoring a healer...again.

“Oh? I believe otherwise. However, we are not going to the infirmary.” He glanced back at the child briefly, before resuming his journey. He wasn't taking the child to the infirmary, for several reasons actually, but instead to his and Tim's quarters. He knew the other man was in a session and perhaps the boy would relax in a less formal setting. He stopped at the door, tapping it with his hand twice before opening it.

He hesitated for a moment but finally took a cautious step into the room. He trusted the healer, he knew Eric would not harm him. He gazed around the sitting room curiously, spotting the small kitchenette that nearly mirrored the one in Alexis' quarters. It wasn't that much different from the one in Severus and Remus' quarters either, just a bit smaller. And cleaner, much cleaner. But the sitting room was different. For one, all of the chairs were leather; the end tables and the desk that was stuck in one corner, were all of a high quality wood, he just wasn't sure what quite of wood. The walls were muted creams and the throw pillows were all dark colours, The room looked nice, it looked expensive...it looked like it had never hosted children before.

Eric smirked at the child, watching his eyes jump from place to place. He knew that their quarters were a bit different from the rest of the Professors, but they were just as homey. Tim had once suggested getting more durable furniture, but he wasn't really worried about it. The youngest child they had taken care of was Alexis, and she had been fifteen. Granted, between her and Remus, they had to replace some of the furnishings, but furniture was replaceable and it wasn't like they didn't have the money. He gestured toward a footstool, raising an eyebrow at the boy. “Sit, please. I would like to take a look at your bruises, particularly the ones covering your back.” He ordered briskly.

Elijah scowled, glaring at the older man for a long moment before finally sitting on the leather footstool. “I'm fine.” He shrugged, tapping his foot restlessly. And he was fine, little Nick hadn't done much harm to him, beside that one good punch that had connected with his cheek. Any other injuries he had were not important, nor did he want the healer to question them.

“Oh? Remove your shirt please.” Eric requested, meeting the boy's eyes firmly. Although he could scan him with his wand, it did help to see the injuries and he needed skin contact for his method of healing. The child glared at him but he merely waited, knowing that he would give in eventually. They always did. “When you defended Nikolaas, did the other boys become angry?” He asked causally, not expecting much of an answer.

He grumbled, folding his arms across his chest. He was _not_ removing his shirt. He was _fine_. There was nothing to see, nothing to heal. And why did Eric think that there had been something else besides him and Nick fighting? There had been, but the older man hadn't been there. Elijah wasn't even sure if he should answer the man. He didn't want to get anyone in trouble. But then, nothing had happened, so they couldn't really get into trouble. Could they? “What other boys?” He growled finally.

“The ones who push Nikolaas. His knees showed the impact from being pushed. Unless _you_ push him.” Eric responded, shaking his head at the child. He knew that the teenager would not have done so; Elijah was no bully.

He grimaced, glaring at his shoes for a moment. “I didn't, no. And yeah, they did. But they won't mess with me.” He replied nonchalantly. It wasn't a big deal, really. The other boys would pretty much just leave him alone. Because he knew how to fight back. It might also have something to do with Bain always looking out for him. And he looked up to the older teenager, he liked talking with the older teenager; they even shared secrets. Well, he shared his secrets and talked to Bain about Teddy. None of the bullies would mess with Teddy and his two friends. Because when Bain wasn't with them, he was. And when neither of them were, Ariana or an adult was near by. And Karrie could cast some mean hexes.

“I see. Were they the ones to cause the bruises to your back?” He asked, making a note to keep an eye out for a group of bullies. It was bad enough when there was just one, but for that bully to have a group around him now...there was no telling the damage they could do unless stopped.

“My back's not bruised!” He snapped, scowling at the man. Green eyes met warm brown for a moment before he flushed, looking away.

“Then you have nothing to hide. Show me.” Eric ordered briskly, arching a brow once more. For someone who wasn't injured, the child was certainly acting like it.

Elijah bit his lip, taking a deep breath. If he showed the older man, he'd ask questions. Or worse, he'd tell Alexis. And he really didn't want to explain. It was so stupid. It wasn't even from a fight or anything. It was just a stupid accident. But if he didn't show him, the healer might tell Alexis he was being difficult and then she would be displeased with him. Wouldn't she? She would get fed up with him and then she wouldn't want him anymore. He knew it was really only a matter of time, but he liked being in her quarters, liked being around her. And maybe if she knew he was stupid, she'd stop caring. “Promise you won't tell.” He demanded finally, looking up to meet the man's eyes once more.

Eric furrowed his brows in concern, sitting on the arm of the nearest armchair. “ That depends, Elijah. If you are harming yourself or if someone else is harming you, I have to report it. It is in my oath. If it is something else entirely, then of course I will keep it between us. I would never betray your confidence, unless you were a threat to yourself or another. Then I would _have_ to inform the Headmistress and the Head of Mind Healers, at Hogwarts at least. “ He replied slowly, leaning forward slightly. He had heard the fear in the child's voice, fear that worried him. Was someone hurting this boy? Here? And if so, who? He knew none of the adults here would hurt a child, at least he hoped that was true. But the child was clearly afraid of something.

“No one hurt me and I didn't hurt myself. Promise?” Elijah frowned, scrunching his face in thought for a moment. The healer had sounded concerned, wary too. Like he didn't want to make a promise he couldn't keep. But he hadn't been harming himself and no one had hurt him. So the dark skinned man could keep it, right?

He hesitated for a moment, before finally nodding. “Alright, Elijah. I promise you that I won't repeat anything that you tell me here. This, like my office and the infirmary, is a safe space. You can speak freely here.” He sighed softly, watching the child carefully. He had said as much before, that he wouldn't repeat what the child said, but he understood the teen's wariness and need for an actual, verbal promise. The boy barely trusted him; it was understandable, giving the life the child had lived before this summer. None of the children really knew how to trust and this one was no different. Hopefully, it would be a promise he could keep, so that he could keep building up that fragile trust.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and slowly pulling his shirt over his head. He then turned on the stool, so that his back faced the older man and not his scarred chest. But his scars weren't as bad as some of Bain's; he had seen the older teen's back once, after all. And he knew Teddy had lots of scars, perhaps his scars weren't even as bad as the preteen's. Elijah flinched violently, feeling a gentle hand touch the middle of his back. He hadn't been expecting it, although he knew that the healer would not hurt him.

“Easy Elijah.” He murmured soothingly, stilling his movements for a moment until the child relax a bit. Eric frowned slightly, gently moving his hand over the large bruise once more. The bruise covered most of the boy's lower back and he could see the scrape that his magic had detected. It went down the side of the bruise, where the bruise was darkest, and there were... “Why are there rocks imbedded in your back, Elijah?” He inquired, raising an eyebrow at the mess that was the child's back. Unless someone had shoved him and the boy had fallen very hard, he couldn't explain this injury.

“ 'Twas an accident.” He shrugged, grimacing slightly and making a face at the brief flare of pain. Mostly he had been ignoring it, and he might have stolen a pain potion from Bain's room as well. It had made his dizzy at first but the pain was still mostly gone and he had taken it last night!

His frowned deepen, eyes scanning the child's back once more. He rocked back on his heels, kneeling on the floor still. Why hadn't the child complained of the pain? It had to hurt, there was no way it couldn't. The abrasion must have bled even, although probably not much. He knew it would bleed when he removed the rocks and cleaned it. He would have to move the child to laying on his stomach, otherwise it would be difficult to keep the child still once he started removing the pieces of rock. “How much pain are you in?” Eric asked quietly, gently running his fingers over the abrasion, feeling for hidden splinters of rock.

Elijah shrugged. “None, really.”

“Did you take something?” He asked softly, dangerously.

He grimaced. “No sir.” He lied smoothly, biting his lip. He wasn't sure how the healer would react if he told him the truth and he probably would tell Alexis and then he'd get in trouble for sure.

Eric turned the child's chin, moving slightly so that he could watch the boy's face. “Elijah, if you did I must know. Otherwise, any potion I give you might cause harm without knowing what you took.” He explained quietly, frowning at the teenager. He didn't like being lied to but he also knew that the boy was probably trying to stay out of trouble. Because he had clearly not gone to any adult for a pain potion, otherwise they would have asked questions.

He hesitated, bouncing his leg for a moment. “I don't know what it was sir. It just said 'Pain Draft IX' on it.” Elijah muttered, not looking at the man.

He paled slightly, staring at the child. “Where did you get that?” He demanded softly, forcing himself to remain calm. The boy merely shrug and he sighed in exasperation. “Elijah.” He ordered dangerously, capturing the child's eyes once more.

“Bain's room, sir. He'll kill me. He didn't know I took it.” He spilled out in a rush, taking a deep breath. He didn't like the way the healer was looking at him, not at all. “I just though it was a normal pain potion.” He added lamely, ducking his head.

Eric took a deep breath, casting a deep scan of the child's organs before finally calming slightly. Until, that is, the rest of what the child said hit him. Bain's room. Bain should not have such a restricted potion in his room, he should not even be brewing it yet. He shouldn't be brewing it for another year at the earliest. He stood quickly, moving rapidly toward the floo. A pinch of powder and he knelt before it, murmuring the password to Severus' floo. He waited a moment, before a head appeared with a raised eyebrow.

“Eric?”

“Bain has _Finem Pati_ in his room.” He answered quickly, meeting the younger man's eyes. The Potion Master paled and swore, giving him a brief nod before canceling the call quickly. He turned back to the teenager, biting back a sigh at the hint of betrayal in the boy's eyes. But he could breath easier now that someone was aware, that Severus would check on Bain and confiscate the potion. “You are lucky, Elijah. The potion is not for children, nor to take lightly. It has been known to shut down the organs of a child, but usually that happens within the first few hours. But you cannot have any pain potions for at least 24 hours after it wears off.” He watched the child for a moment longer, transfiguring the couch into a bed. He gestured to it, shaking his head slightly. “On your stomach please, so that I can tend to your back.” He ordered quietly.

Elijah groaned, glaring at the older man for a moment before moving to the bed and laying down on it. “He'll hate me now.” He mumbled quietly, mostly to himself.

Eric chuckled, summoning his basic healer kit with a wave of his hand. “No he won't. As his Master, Severus has a right to know when his apprentice is doing something dangerous. That potion is dangerous. He shouldn't be brewing it, not yet.” He ran a wet flannel over the abrasion, gently removing as much of the imbedded dirt as he could. “So, how _did_ this accident occur?”

He sighed, staring blankly at the wall for a long moment. The worse the man could do was laugh. “Promise not to laugh?” Elijah asked slowly, grimacing at another flash of pain. Merlin, it hadn't hurt until the man tried to heal him!

“Promise.” He replied solemnly, picking up a pair of tweezers. He was quite glad the boy couldn't see him, as this part made most children fidgety and nervous. But if he kept the child talking, he would be done quickly. He could tell the potion was wearing off, even if it was doing so slowly. He would not be able to give the child a potion, although a bit of magic might help with the pain once he was done.

“I was trying to impress a boy. But I fell.” He tried to shrugged, but couldn't really. He had been trying to impress Robert and he had fallen. He was actually surprised he hadn't broken anything. It had hurt like hell. “I was on one of the courtyard walls, walking across the ledge. My friends and I were messing about and I said I could do a flip off of it...I managed the flip.”

Eric bit his lip, fighting down a chuckle. Typical teenaged boy. “But you didn't manage the landing, eh?” He teased gently, prying the last bit of rock out of the child's back. He cleaned it quickly, before dressing the wound and starting to gently massage a bruise balm onto the boy's back.

He grinned at the mattress, eyes lighting up for a moment. He would have to work on his landings. The others had laughed, at first, except for Robert. Robert had been concerned and had punched him, gently, in the shoulder for doing something so stupid. He liked that the other boy cared for him. Even if Robert was older than him, it wasn't by much. Not really. “Yeah. Hurt like hell. But it was worth it.” Elijah replied lightly, smirking at the healer's groan.

“Yes, a bruise covering your back and an abrasion that will take a couple of treatments to heal must have been worth it. Was your friend impressed? Or was he upset?” He stated dryly, shaking his head at the boy's conclusion, steady hands make quick work of the rest of the child's back.

“He was worried, I guess. Am I done?” Elijah replied, turning his head to look at the healer.

“Hm, almost. You will sleep for a bit and then you may leave.” Eric replied firmly, rubbing an oil over the child's back before letting the magic flow from his fingers, gently easing the child into sleep. That way he would sleep through the potion ending and leaving his system, he would sleep through the worst of the pain.

Elijah groaned, but his eyes felt heavy and he didn't even want to roll over. He felt the healer place a pillow under his head and he closed his eyes, letting of a soft sigh.

“Sleep child.” Eric whispered soothingly, running a hand across the boy's back before summoning a quilt and tucking it around the child. He set an charm to let him know when the boy awoke, it would be a couple hours at least, before straightening up and picking up his bag. He did have a child coming to the infirmary, after all.

-x-

Severus was furious...and concerned. The concern and worry had come first, of course. But the anger had quickly followed it. He had not been able to find his apprentice, but he had managed a thorough search of the child's room. What he had discovered had not made him happy. The boy had a case, a case!, of restricted potions, potions he shouldn't even have the recipes for! Whatever the boy was up to wasn't good, not with those potions. He was not looking forward to the conversation he would have to have with the younger man. But he also knew he needed to calm down before he spoke to Bain, otherwise he might say something that he would regret. He also had a potion to administer first, which was why he was currently walking to the infirmary. He couldn't floo with the potion, it was too much of a risk and it wasn't worth the risk. Not when a little girl's life was hanging in the balance here. The walk also helped lessen the anger; he needed to be calm and gentle for this child's sake. She would probably be terrified.

-x-

Alexis bit back a sigh, stepping into the main room of the infirmary. She could hear the arguing from the private room they had set up for Mia's use and as Eric was busy getting the child ready, she would handle the problem, whatever it might be. She scanned the room for a moment, easily spotting Jemma, the healer on duty, and the three girls she was arguing with. She didn't like the way the youngest of the group was cowering away from the healer, at all.

“I can't heal her if she won't be still!” Jemma snapped again, glaring at the teenager.

“She's afraid of you! Of course she wouldn't let you touch her. Where's Eric?” The blond growled, standing protectively between the two younger girls and the healer that she couldn't stand. Jemma was so condescending to the younger teens and rude to the older ones. Gods, she hated the woman!

“I am in charge. I will tend to her, move!”

“Don't fucking touch me!”

“Ariana, enough.” Alexis ordered dryly, quickly striding to get between the two. She frowned at the smirking healer, rising an eyebrow at the woman. “I will handle it, Jemma. You may go.” She drawled coldly, locking gazes with the woman. Jemma was suppose to be a good healer, but none of her references had told her how the woman treated children. If she didn't straighten up, the woman wouldn't make it to the beginning of the term. The woman huffed at her, turned her nose up and stalked away. Definitely wouldn't make it. She sighed softly, turning her eyes to the three girls. Ariana and Karrie dropped their protective stances, although it was concerning that Karrie was supporting the little blond's weight. “Let's move this to an examination room, shall we?” She suggested quietly, kneeling to be on eye level with the little eleven year old. The child relaxed slightly, no longer cowering, and gave a small nod, lifting her arms up in a silent demand. Alexis chuckled, straightening and lifting the child onto her hip. She carried the girl into a nearby room, sensing the two teens following her. She eased Lila onto an examination table, closing the door with a wave of her hand. A quick spell later and she frowned. “What happened to your ankle, Lila?”

The little blond shrugged, glancing at her sister and then at Karrie. It had been an accident. Aria had left her for a few minutes, to chase down Karrie, and she had decided to do cartwheels. Which was fine, until she tried a front hand spring. She had never managed it before and Aria had promised to teach her but her sister was always busy or distracted. So she tried it and she stumbled on a rock, her ankle had hurt. But she tried again and again. When she finally got it, her foot hurt so much, she fell. And then Aria and Karrie had come back and they had started walking back to the school and she had been limping. Her sister had been worried. But she was fine. It just hurt a little.

“I think she fell.” Ariana sighed, grimacing at the raised eyebrow that was sent her way. “I...went away for a couple of minutes and when I came back she was limping.” She admitted quietly, looking away. The silent twelve year old beside her shifted uncomfortable, her eyes locked on the floor.

“I see.” She sighed, shaking her head slightly. And she did see, she understood exactly what the child meant. If the tethering spell between Karrie and Ariana was anything to go by, the younger of the two had tried running. Repeatedly, as Ariana wouldn't use such a spell, wouldn't put the younger girl on a leash, if she hadn't run several times, if her safety wasn't in question. The fact the the youngest child had been alone long enough to get hurt meant that Ariana had gone to find Karrie. She ran her hand across the youngest child's ankle, feeling the swelling with a shake of her head. “Sprained.” She murmured, removing the child's shoe and sock with ease before letting her magic flow into the child's foot. It appeared that the girl had twisted it and then sprained it by playing and ignoring the pain. “What were you doing that caused you to sprain your ankle?” Alexis questioned, looking up from her work to meet the child's eyes. A shrug and a grimace of pain were her only answers. A non-verbal day then. That made nearly a week of the child not speaking to anyone. According to Ariana, this was normal; Lila had often went long stretches of time without talking. But it wasn't exactly _normal._ The child wasn't selectively mute out of choice. Fear, anxiety, even shyness, but definitely not choice. She eased the pain, straightening the ankle slowly before summoning the stuff to wrap it up. She finished quickly, hardening the wrap so that it would act much as a cast and protect the child's foot from further damage while it finished healing naturally. She caught the girl's eyes once more, moving her hands so that the child could see them before starting to sign slowly to Lila. She was rusty, but it wasn't a skill that was really forgettable.

Blue eyes widened in surprise, her hands instantly forming signs of their own. She hadn't thought that anyone here would know sign language besides her sister. She could communicate this way, that was why Ariana had helped her learn it, and it would be easier. She couldn't speak, not right now. Her mouth didn't want to work and she couldn't find the words. She hadn't found her place here yet, the words just didn't want to come. It was frustrating, because she wanted to speak sometimes. But she never felt like she could and she hated that. She just didn't understand why she could talk sometimes and others she couldn't. Usually she stopped talking when the nightmares got worse. She just didn't know.

Alexis tilted her head to the side, watching the quick fingers. “Hand springs? Lila. You should know better than to attempt something like that without a spotter.” She scolded quietly, raising an eyebrow at the girl's series of quick questions. The first of which she really didn't have an answer to.

_Why don't words work? Why do you know signs? Why Karrie always run? Am I in trouble?_ Her small fingers flashed through the air, hesitating on the last question. She didn't want to ask but she had to know. It was better to know then to not know when she might get hit, although she knew the Headmistress wouldn't hurt her. 

“I don't know child, we will figure it out together. You are not in trouble. And that is a question for Karrie.” She answered, shaking her head in amusement for a moment. “As to why I know how to sign...before I learned English, I used very basic signs when speaking to those who didn't speak my native tongue. My guardians also taught me universal sign language so that I could communicate easily with those outside the home.” Alexis added slowly, forcing down the memories and straightening back up slowly. “Now, can I leave you and Karrie alone for a few moments? I need a word with Ariana.” She remarked briskly, raising an eyebrow at the two girls. A murmured yes and a nod were her responses, as well as a scowling teenager. She lifted the little girl down, summoning a jar off of a top shelf. She handed it to the black-haired child, locking eyes with both girls for a moment. “You two may stay in here but no more than three cookies each please.”

Karrie grinned, glancing at the giggling younger girl. They could manage that. Or not. They could always just say they forgot how to count. She grimaced when Ariana moved toward the door and the spell tugged at her, glaring at the teenager until the spell suddenly stopped.

“Stay here or I'll stick you to a chair.” Ariana ordered quietly, frowning at the small girl before glancing at her sister. “Make sure she doesn't eat herself sick please.”She added softly, giving the preteen a small smile before stepping out into the main infirmary once more. She was not looking forward to wherever this conversation might go.

“I would prefer if Lila did not learn to swear before she even starts school.” She admonished quietly, gray eyes meeting pale blue for a long moment. That was all she was going to say on the matter, even if the teen's behaviour toward Jemma had been undesirable, the woman had been acting much the same. “Now, tell me what is happening with Karrie?” She requested, casting a one-way silencing spell, so that they could hear the girls but their conversation would be private.

Ariana sighed, shaking her head. “I don't know, she wouldn't talk to me. Bain and I have been trading off, taking turns with the trio, but the boys wanted to fly. She keeps running today, her and Harry both. She kept running from activities and Rani just got fed up. Kate and Mary were planning on talking to her but she won't stop running from them every time they try. She's not even going to her safe space, Alexis. She keeps running toward the forest.” She answered slowly, thinking it through. She was even getting frustrated with the younger girl but she understood why the preteen ran so much. But that didn't make it alright. The child was hurting, she couldn't just keep trying to run from her problems, her past.

She frowned, letting the worry show for a moment. “Alright. I'll see if she will speak with me.” She responded briskly, eyes catching sight of her brother easily. He was exiting the room they had set up for Mia. “Or perhaps she would be comfortable with Sev.” She murmured, mostly to herself, beckoning to him.

Ariana scowled, glaring at the older woman for a moment. “I can manage her just fine.” She growled, grimacing when the Headmistress merely raised an eyebrow at her.

“I know you can, Ariana. You take good care of those two girls but you shouldn't be solely responsible for them. _I_ am responsible for them and for you. You need a break, a chance to be a teenager. And perhaps Karrie will relax enough with Severus and Remus to talk to them. If nothing else, they hadn't spent all day chasing her, so they should have a chance to do so.” She replied softly, understanding quickly that the girl wasn't trying to be rude; she just thought that she doubted her abilities. And she didn't. Ariana was good with the girls and good for the girls, but the teenager needed to have a chance to be a child as well. She shouldn't be responsible for two preteens; she needed a chance to live her life.

She rolled her eyes, glancing at the man who had joined them. “I'll get the girls.” She murmured, disappearing back into the room.

Severus raised an eyebrow, turning his gaze to his sister. He had an apprentice to find and discipline, but he wasn't looking forward to telling her what he son had done. He would talk to the boy first, he decided, just so that he knew exactly what was going on, before he talked to her. “Yes?” He drawled, tilting his head slightly.

“Karrie is in a running mood today, it seems. Would you like to take her to your quarters?” She replied briskly, raising an eyebrow of her own.

“I have a meeting with my apprentice, but perhaps she would like to bake with Remus. Gods only know that we don't have enough sweets yet.” He nodded firmly. If the child would go with him, he would take her. She was his, after all. He softened his features for the three returning girls, giving a half smile to the younger two for a moment. “Afternoon, Lila, Karrie.” Hesitant green eyes met his before the girl returned his smile. The youngest grinned at him, tugging causally on his robe sleeve. Still not speaking, then. He bit back a sigh, giving in to the silent request and lifting the child into the air. He tossed her lightly, catching her with ease before swinging her back to her feet with a fit of giggle. “What did you do to yourself?” Severus nodded pointedly to her foot, furrowing a brow when the child merely shrugged. “I see. Well, don't do it again.” He admonished quietly, turning to his own child. “Karrie, would you like to return to our quarters? I believe Remus might be up for a round of baking. He mentioned something about fudge.”

She turned slightly jealous eyes away from Lila and to the floor, before registering what he said. She had no reason to be jealous of Lila, not really. Lila was still a child, still little enough to not feel ashamed for wanting to be held. But she was their ward, not Lila. And Lila managed to get most of the adults to pick her up, she needed the reassurance of being held. But Remus would bake with her and...fudge?! “Yes sir.” She smirked, locking eyes with the man for a moment.

He smirked back, knowing quite well that their quarters would probably be a mess when the child was done. But if it made her happy, he could put up with a bit of mess. And he'd just make Remus clean it up. He offered the child his hand, raising an eyebrow at her when she hesitated. But a small palm slowly found its way to his and he grasped it gently, firmly in his own, turning and leading his child away.

Alexis leaned against the wall, watching the two girls leave together not long after Severus had left with Karrie. Hopefully both of the younger girls would speak to her, to anyone, soon. She sighed, straightened and relaxed her movements slightly, turning to enter Mia's room. She needed to check on the child, after all, and Mia would be relaxed if she was relaxed. It would be quite a long day, but that was alright. They had plenty of time.

-x-

He lifted his head from his hands, sitting up straight and settled his mask back over his emotions, turning sharp onyx eyes to his office door. “Enter.” Severus called sternly, following the hesitant journey of the teenager.

Bain bit his lip, glancing at his Master with a furrowed brow. He was confused as to why the man wanted to speak to him. They had brewed this morning and Severus had freed him for the rest of the day. So what did the man want now? He hadn't done anything to anger the man, at least he didn't think he had. “Sir?”

“Sit down, Bain. We need to talk.” He drawled, nodding to the chair in front of his desk. The boy frowned at him but obeyed, the confusion evident on his face. The teenager had no idea why he was there, but that was about to change and he fully expected anger to show itself.

“About what, sir?” He tilted his head slightly, not quite sure what was going on. What had he done to cause Severus to be so serious? He couldn't recalled doing anything recently, at least anything that the older man would find out about. Had he?

He paused for a long moment, studying the younger man intensely before reaching down beside his desk and picking up the case of potions. He set it on the desk, watching the teenager the entire time. “I was hoping you would explain where you got these potions.” He replied briskly, unzipping the case and gesturing toward the vials. It still upset him to know that the young man had these, never mind the fact that he probably brewed them. But that he had restricted potions, potions he needed a license to brew, that upset him. The child could easily ruin his own future if these fell into the wrong hands or if the board found out he had restricted potions and _wasn't_ disciplined for it. The young man had broken the rules he had set for him, the consequences he had clearly outlined. This would be something neither of them enjoyed.

Bain froze, blue eyes widening for a moment. He had recognized the case instantly, he just didn't know how his master had gotten hold of it. He kept it under his bed, after all. He schooled his face to bland disinterest, forcing down his emotions immediately. “I don't know what you are talking about.” He shrugged, not meeting the man's eyes.

“I would suggest not lying to me. You are in enough trouble as is.” Severus purred silkily, glaring at the younger man. “Now, where did you get this?” He demanded softly, dangerously. He was fighting to keep his own anger under control; it wouldn't do for him to go off on the younger man.

“Why were you in my room?” He growled back, eyes snapping up to meet the older man's briefly. The man had no right to snoop around his room! None!

“You are my apprentice and a teenage boy. I was informed that you had potions you shouldn't. I went to find you but since I could not locate you, I checked your room, as is my right as your Master.” He drawled dryly. “Where did you get these?” He questioned again, letting the smallest bit of his fury show through.

Bain grimaced, glaring down at his lap. The man shouldn't have been in his room! It wasn't fair! Because if he told him the truth, he'd get in trouble. If he lied, he'd get in trouble. Either way, he'd be in trouble. He remembered the promised punishment for breaking certain rules, and he had practically broken them all. He hadn't thought he would get caught, damn man. And there was no way out of this, he couldn't deny he had the potions, that they had just magically appeared in his room. Because the labels were in his handwriting and his magic was infused into the potion. Severus would check; he knew the man well enough to know that if he lied to him, he'd check the potions. Nothing else to do then except tell the truth. “I brewed them.” He growled finally, bouncing his foot in agitation.

“Why?”

The quiet question was enough to cause him to look up. He could hear the disappointed in his master's voice, and the worry. Why should the man be concerned? He had just been brewing, in secret true, but he had just wanted the escape. Didn't he have a right to privacy, to secrets, to doing as he pleased? “I wanted to.” Bain snapped, shrugging nonchalantly.

Severus took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment and forcing his temper back down. “Oh? So you brewed a dozen different restricted, mastery level potions because you _wanted to_? That's not good enough. You risked your life and the life of everyone at this school, should you have made even one mistake. You risked your future and for what? Because you wanted to? Unacceptable.” He growled dangerously, leaning forward and placing his hands on his desk. Merlin, but this child was testing his nerves! There had to be another reason, something the boy wasn't saying. He just had to find a way to get the truth.

He glared at him stubbornly, folding his arms across his chest and decidedly not answering. It would do him no good, after all. The older man had probably already made up his mind about what a waste of time he was, so there was no need to even try to explain.

“Bain, please. Tell me why you did this, tell me what caused this. Who were the potions for? Were you intending to take them?” He broke the silence finally, after several long, tense minutes. That was his fear, that the child planned to take the potions. They were restricted for a reason after all and many of them had been used for suicide in the past, usually by a mastery potions or healer student who just couldn't do it anymore. Or to get high, in the right dosages, but there were simpler, safer potions for that, ones that wouldn't kill him if the dosage was just a bit off.

“What? No! I wasn't, I swear.” He gaped, staring at the older man for a long moment. He wouldn't do that, he couldn't. Well...he could but he didn't feel that way. Not anymore. Once upon a time he would have jumped at the end the potions could offer if mixed correctly, but not now. Now he had something to live for, didn't he? He was quite certain that he did. His family, his new family, that was worth living for. “I wouldn't, Severus. I'm not...I'm not suicidal. I just wanted..I guess I wanted to experiment. They are restricted yes, but most of them aren't safe for children and some of the children here could have really used them. So I tried to alter them, just a bit. I wanted to see if I could do it, if I was capable of doing something like that. And I just...I just wanted to do something to help. I didn't want them to ever have to suffer like that again. I wanted to stop the pain, to make it better. But I didn't know if I could and I didn't want you to be ashamed of me when I failed. Some of them clearly failed.” Bain admitted finally, gazing at the open case instead of meeting the man's eyes. Yes, he had gone behind his back and experimented, on a potion that he had never brewed before no less, but all he wanted to do was help. He felt so useless and helpless sometimes, he just...he didn't want anyone to have to suffer like that and the potions would help. If they worked, which they probably wouldn't. He blinked suddenly, staring at an empty space. One of his potions was gone and Severus said someone informed him...Elijah! “Damn that child! Is he-”

“Elijah is fine, last I heard. He is sleeping through the potion leaving his body but it did no harm. It did mask his pain for nearly twenty-four hours but it did nothing to heal his injury. When you are allowed to brew again, we will work on this together.” Severus answered quickly, hearing the fear in the teenager's voice. He took a calming breath, letting his mind wander for a moment. The child wanted to help, but he was going about it the wrong way. And while there might be something else there, he had a feeling that the child was telling the truth. But he had thought they had already dealt with him brewing experimental potions alone, let only a mastery potion. And trying to change a mastery potion at this early in the stage! It was more than just dangerous, it was deadly. He would examine the potions and the child's notes later. It was unlikely that any of them would fully work at this stage, but it might be a project that the child could do when he attempted his mastery. “Attempting to alter a mastery level potion is foolish and dangerous when you have not even managed to alter a basic potion. You could have gotten yourself killed! I want all of your notes on these potions, as well as all of your potion equipment and ingredients, this evening.” He admonished firmly, raising an eyebrow when the child didn't even look at him. His posture shouted defiance but he knew that the teenager was just upset and angry.

Bain growled under his breath for a moment, glaring at the floor. He didn't want to give up his brewing stuff! Brewing helped him, it took his mind off of life because he could just get lost in a potion. He could just brew, without any feeling or emotion, and he needed that. Badly. But he knew there was no fighting this, it was his fault after all. He had gone behind the man's back, he had done something dangerous and he even recognized that it had been dangerous. He just hoped the man would still want him as an apprentice after this. “For how long?” He inquired finally, glancing up at the man.

“Until you prove responsible enough to brew alone. You are grounded for two weeks and restricted from brewing unless I am present. You are also not to be in the lab alone. I also want an essay on these potions, what could have gone wrong and why you are not suppose to brew mastery level potions.” He bit back a sigh, hating what he would have to do next and knowing quite well that the younger man would hate him for it, if only temporarily. But he also knew that the teenager needed the consequences and this was one lesson that stuck faster with a sore bottom. He wasn't looking forward to this but he _had_ warned him and he always followed through on his warnings. He pushed his chair back slightly, to give himself room, meeting the young man's eyes for a long moment. “Now, I believe I promised you trip over my knees if you ever tried to brew a mastery level potion or experiment alone. You not only decided to experiment alone, again, but you also decided to experiment on a mastery potion, one that you have yet to brew, alone and without my knowledge. You endangered your life by doing so and you endangered your career. If the board found out you brewed a mastery potion before you were ready and without supervision, and that you were not disciplined for it, they would not allow you to gain your mastery.” He added briskly, raising an eyebrow at the teenager. He knew he was repeating himself a bit, but it was important that the younger man understood. The Potions Examination Board would not grant him his mastery, even if the three Masters who tested him said that he should be a Master, if they uncovered that he had done something as foolish as attempt a mastery potion before his Master granted permission. If he was disciplined for it, they would ignore it, because all apprentices experimented and tried to prove that they were capable. But if he wasn't, they would say he was a loose canon, that he had no control, or that his intentions were not suitable for that of a Potions Master or Master Creator. He knew he would have to give the boy the book with everything that the Board considered soon; the next two weeks would be spent on theory and controlling that damn temper, so lessons on the Board and requirements could easily fit in,.

“You grounded me! Isn't that enough?” He snapped, flushing slightly. He knew the man had gone easy on him last time and that this time would not be the same. He liked sitting, thank you very much, and it was mortifying. He was seventeen after all, much to old for a smacking.

“I promised you a smacking, Bain. There is no getting out of it. And no, the Board would not count a grounding.” Severus drawled, sighing softly. He didn't like it either but he was the boy's master and he had promised him a smacking, so he would do it. Besides that, the majority of masters, in all disciplines, used smackings and stinging spells on their apprentices. It was more than just normal, it some disciplines it was even required. Healing, for example, required the Master to be willing to spank their apprentice, because guilt often came with being a healer and the healing profession lost the highest number of apprentices to suicide; making them feel punished for that guilt helped bring that number down. The healers had even done a study on it, because they would study anything. He only gave smackings when they were absolutely necessary, usually for endangering themselves or someone else. He was more liberal with stinging spells, as they were useful in stopping someone who was attempting to run from him or storming off. As much as he would love to just cast a stinging spell at the child, he knew a smacking was necessary here. The boy could not do something so foolish again and a sore bottom would make him think it through next time. It had worked on him, and he would even reluctantly admit that it stilled worked on him, so he knew it would work on the child. “Come Bain, let's get this over with child. I don't like this anymore than you do.” He ordered softly, beckoning the the boy.

He hesitated, looking down for a long moment. The disappoint in the man's eyes was almost too much. Bain hated that he had been the one to put it there and he knew that this would be nothing like his father's beatings. Because Severus was only spanking him because he gave a damn about him and his future, not for his own sadistic pleasure. Indeed, the man seemed to hate the idea just as much as he did. He nodded and obeyed, standing and moving to drape himself awkwardly over the man's lap.

-x-

He sighed softly, rubbing soothing circles into the back of the softly crying teenager. He hated hurting the child but he knew he had done no lasting damage and the effects would mostly be gone by the morning, if not before then. As it was, he had followed the family rules for smackings. Twice the child age and only with his hand, not that he would spank him with anything other than his hand. He was not his own bastard of a father nor did he want the child to equate him to _his_ father. “Sh, child.” He murmured softly, gently pulling the boy up to sit on his lap, arms encircling the lanky teenager.

“ M'sorry sir.” Bain whispered, burying his red head into the man's shoulder. His eyes stung and his bottom _hurt_ but he felt...lighter somehow? Hiding this and lying to his master had been slowly eating away at him, although those weren't the only things bothering him. And now that it was out in the open and the man had _lovingly_ punished him for it, he felt weirdly better.

“It's alright child. All is forgive.” Severus murmured gently, running a hand through the child's hair. Hopefully now the boy would never do that again. He smirked suddenly, stilling holding the teenager tightly. “Now, what to tell your mother?” He teased silkily.

He groaned, burying his face deeper in the man's shirt. “Kill me now.” He whimpered, peeking up with wide, begging eyes for a moment.

Severus chuckled deeply, shaking his head at the boy. Alexis might kill _him_ but then, she also set similar consequences for her three child, the same rules that they followed within their odd little family. And he knew that while the woman wouldn't be pleased, she just be happy to know her boy was alright. Their family had grown with the addition of these children and it was stronger for it. As it should be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two things. First, the two languages used here are German and Dutch. If they look similar, that's because they come from the Germanic language and both have words in common. Secondly, what Lila has is called Selective Mutism. It is a real disorder that doesn't go away but it will become easier for her to speak, once she has found her place, when she is comfortable. It won't happen overnight. Selective Mutism has several causes, one of which is serious trauma. Lila's life has been traumatic up to this point and her mind reacted by shutting down her ability to speak.


	23. The Glen

She bit back a smile, gazing at her oldest teenager for a long moment. He was sound asleep, snoring lightly, sprawled out on his stomach. Alexis slipped silently into the room, picking up the blankets that child had throw off and draping them over the foot of the bed, where the boy could reach them if he needed them. She doubted he would as the nights were still a bit warm. She picked up a book off the floor, glancing at the title before marking the child's place and setting it down on his nightstand. Alexis watched him sleep for a moment longer, gently running her fingers through his hair and brushing it away from his face before slipping back out of the room. She had been quite displeased with him earlier, but he was safe now and that was all that mattered. She had even managed not to yell at him, after Severus had told her what happened, although that had been a challenge. She sighed, shaking her head and knocking lightly on her middle child's door, listening a moment before opening it quietly. Elijah looked up at her, groggy and fighting sleep. The teenager was writing, _again._ If he would just give one of his letters to the boy he liked, perhaps he wouldn't constantly be trying to perfect it. “Bedtime, Elijah.” She admonished, raising an eyebrow at the boy.

“Five more minutes.”He mumbled, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from drifting off again. He already had ink all over his hands and arms, even the bed; he didn't need it on his face again. He wasn't tired anyway, he had slept most of the afternoon and then had to sit through three lectures on taking potions that he didn't know what they were. Three! And Bain kept giving him weird looks. Ugh.

“I don't think so. You need to sleep.” She replied firmly, gently tugging the parchment and ink out of the child's hands and placing it on the desk. She summoned his lapdesk, returning it to its hook, before conjuring a wet flannel. “Hands please.” She directed quietly, waving her wand briefly at the bed to vanish the ink stains. Minzi would kill her if the boys picked up her bad habits.

Elijah groaned and rolled his eyes before offering his hands and arms up. He was not a child, he could clean himself off! But it did feel nice to be taken care of and he was very tired, he just didn't know why. He had slept most of the afternoon, after all, but he still felt exhausted. But at least the pain was finally mostly gone.

She released his hands, moving his blankets back. “Lie down, Elijah.” She instructed, giving the child a half smile when he obeyed, tucking the covers around him. She ran a hand through his hair gently, smirking as he fought sleep still. “Relax and close your eyes.”She murmured, biting back a sigh when he ignored her. If she left him as he was, he would be up and writing again late into the night. He needed to sleep; the potion was completely gone from his system but it had drained his magic when his body tried to fight it. He was lucky to be alive. She nearly lost two of her boys in one day...it was terrifying to her. But they were both safe now and that was all that mattered. Alexis brushed the hair away from his face, stroking it gently for a moment. “ _Doucement, doucement. Doucement s'en va la jour, doucement doucement. A pas de velours. La rainette dit sa chanson de nuit, et le li_ _èvre fuit, sans un bruit.”_

Elijah closed his eyes, letting the soft tenor wash over him. He didn't know his professor could sing and even though he had no idea what she sang, he could hear the love in her words. He drifted into sleep, feeling a gentle touch to his head before he was out.

She smirked down at the child, shaking her head slightly. It was the only song that had come to mind, a French lullaby that Eric had once sung to her. But it did the trick and the child was out. She set the charm to alert her if he needed anything and slipped silently out of the room, to check on her youngest. She paused at the slightly open door, slipping in to this room as silently as the other two. Alexis sighed softly, gray eyes landing instantly on the thrashing child. Teddy never slept well at night, not unless he crawled into bed with her. The two times he had done so, he had actually slept through the night without nightmares. But he was reluctant to do so and only would after a rather bad day. Today had been good for Teddy and yet...he was still having violent nightmares. She gently ran a hand through his hair, stroking his cheek with a thumb. He stilled suddenly and then his body relaxed. The child whimpered softly in his sleep and she sighed, murmuring soothing nonsense into his ear. She summoned his dragon with her free hand, slipping the stuffed animal into the boy's arms while soothingly rubbing circles into his back, letting tiny bits of calming magic slip into the child. She stayed for a while, waiting until he finally settled into a peaceful sleep before slipping soundlessly from his room. She dropped in her armchair, not even bothering to glance at the man sitting across from her. “Remus.” She murmured, letting her head drop into her hands for a moment. Gods, was she tired!

“Alexis.” He replied, equally quiet. He felt, rather than saw, her raise silencing spells around the room. “We do not have to do this tonight; you need sleep.” Remus tilted his head, studying the younger woman for a moment. It was strange to him; the more he read of the books Eric and Filius had given him, the more he could see the familial magic. Alexis' magic was so intertwined with Hogwarts that he knew the glitters he saw from her contained bits of the school and it was fascinating, if not overwhelming at times.

She scowled at him, straightening up and leaning forward to rest her hands on her knees. “You have book lists to give me.” She drawled dryly, raising an eyebrow at him. Hopefully he did, as she really needed to start sending them out. If he had his list, she would look over it and pass it on to Severus, who was compiling the lists for every student. So far, less than half of her teachers had given her book lists to look over. That was also, clearly, not the only reason he was there. She knew that.

He snorted, meeting tired eyes for a moment before picking up a sheet of parchment from where he had sat it. “I do. You can read over it tomorrow, Headmistress.” He replied firmly, setting it back on the table before leaning forward and raising an eyebrow of his own. In that instance he went from being her employee to being part of her family, one of the three heads of her family. Three. Filius, Eric, and him. He was not, of course, a full Head of the family yet, but he was being taught. He already fulfilled some of the roles and he would continue to do so. He would take care of the younger members of his family, Severus and Alexis, as well as watch over all of the children, even the ones who were not his. He also had planned a home for them, where all three separate families could live together. But that was not important at the moment; the young woman in front of him was.

She grimaced, folding her hands in her lap and dropping her eyes to study her robes. The very air in the room seemed to change, but she knew that it hadn't. She could just feel the magic change as they switched roles, almost instantly. From Headmistress to little sister in...ten seconds? She wasn't sure she would ever get used to it but the magic felt good to her; it felt _right._ That didn't mean she wouldn't fight with him; she would be a fool to think otherwise. She was too stubborn. “So...”

“So.” Remus sighed, watching her for a long moment. This had been Eric's idea and Filius had backed the other man up on it. That he needed to connected more with Alexis. He knew the young woman, and he liked to think he knew her well, but she had always been Severus' sister, even before the younger man had told him how he felt about the young woman. He could sense the bond between them, the bond that linked them tightly to Filius. He had put her to bed when she was sick and had been perfectly fine with the younger woman sleeping between them, one night last year, over the holidays. She had had a terrible nightmare and Severus had coxed her into bed with them, allowing for them to comfort and protect her throughout the night. He had picked her up and carried her when she fainted, although he knew she didn't know that fact. She didn't know he was the one to place her in her bed that day, last spring. He should have questioned her then, instead of hoping she would go to them. Perhaps she wouldn't be so bad if he had. But that was the past and he knew he couldn't change it. He tapped his fingers on his knee for a moment, thinking quickly. There had to be something, besides Severus, that they had in common. He blinked, smirking suddenly. “Did I ever tell you that Eric adopted me when I was sixteen?” He inquired, grinning at her when her eyes suddenly snapped up to meet his.

“You didn't. How did he find you?” She asked, leaning forward slightly.

“Probably the same way Tim found you. A friend of a friend of a friend decided I was too much to handle as an apprentice. I was apprenticing over the summer before my sixth year and I ended up in France. He took me that summer and adopted me before I returned to school.” He shrugged, slipping into thought for a moment. Eric had taught him much about healing and working with children, but mostly about himself. The man had even found him a Defense Master, so that he could study for his Defense Mastery without attending one of the Wizarding University.

“Your family?” She questioned softly, furrowing her brows and tilting her head slightly. She had known that Remus was bonded to Eric and Tim, but she hadn't known that Eric had adopted the older man.

“Kicked me out the minute I turned sixteen. Didn't want a monster in the family.” Remus sighed, raising an eyebrow when the younger woman growled angrily. That was how Severus had reacted as well. He would swear sometimes that those two could have been raised together. They were just so much alike, yet so different.

“You are not a monster.” She snarled, glaring at the sandy-haired man. She remembered, briefly, seeing him around over the years she lived with the two men. But either he never stayed for long or she was always on a rampage when he visited.

“To them, I was. When Severus first introduced us, I thought I knew you from somewhere. I didn't visit Eric and Tim as often as I should have, but they always found me; always knew when I was in trouble or needed a kick in the rear.” Remus grimaced at that thought, knowing quite well that Eric didn't care how old he was, he would still put him over his knee if he thought it was necessary. He knew, however, that the young woman could empathize with him completely on that one.

She snorted, smirking at his expression for a moment. She knew that face, she had made it enough herself. “You know they were wrong, yes?” She asked quietly, after a few minutes of comfortable silence. It was the mind healer in her that made her need to make sure, because Remus wasn't a monster. He was nowhere close. Close-minded idiots.

“I have been informed, repeatedly, over the years, yes. I have a wolf in me, but I control it, not the other way around.” He gave a half shrug, smirking when she glared at him. He knew that he wasn't a monster, exactly, he just changed once a month. And he tended to be dominate over others, especially those he considered his pack.. He did still feel like a monster sometimes, but Severus squashed those feelings every time.

She huffed at him, growling softly for a moment before turning suddenly toward one of the windows. A wave of her hand and it opened, allowing an owl to tumble in.

“Who is writing to you at this time of night?”Remus frowned, watching the bird as it landed on the arm of her chair and hopped impatiently for a moment.

Alexis sighed softly, removing the letter with swift hands. She knew this owl well; for it to come at this time of night, it was just after midnight now, wasn't good. This was Lucius' work owl, something had to be wrong. She opened the letter and scanned it quickly, scowling at it for a moment. “Damn.” She growled, summoning a piece of parchment and a pen.

"Alexis?”

She scrawled out a quick reply, rereading the letter quickly before tying her response to the owl's leg. “On with you Lightning.” She murmured softly, stroking the bird's head for a moment. The owl took off, darting out the window and into the night. “There was a second child assaulted at the end of last semester. Lucius believes she might have been assaulted during the past month as well and is having Eric look her over before he takes her to the manor.” She responded finally, running a hand through her hair for a moment. Two students, both under the age of thirteen, were assaulted at school within the last year. None of the staff had been informed of it, unless one of them had tried to hide it. And perhaps it was something Dumbledore had known; she hoped not. The students deserved much better than that. They would receive better now.

He blinked, turning it over in his mind for a moment. Lucius only had a few girls staying at the manor, the rest came and went during the day. The Malfoys always had a full house during the summer, children whose parents had to work during the day or who needed extra lessons; children whose parents had to take work trips or even a few who weren't fit to be parents. Remus knew that Lucius and Cissa would have both checked the health of every child coming to the manor. To discover one late at night was unusual. “How did Lucius discover this?” He questioned finally, turning back to gaze at the younger one.

“The girl had floo'd Narcissa a few hours ago. She was under instructions from her social worker to contact either the social worker or Lucius, who is her advocate, if her father was gone for longer than three days. She waited two _weeks_ to contact Narcissa, so Lucius called her case worker and took her into the office. I'm assuming they did a routine scan on the child and it showed sexual abuse. Her father isn't abusive, just neglectful and forgetful. Lucius said he questioned her and she said she was assaulted at school. She also told him that she knew she wasn't the only one. The Malfoy's will care for her until her father is found, although I can see them keeping her all summer.” She replied quietly, glancing through the letter once more before meeting his gaze. She had met the young girl many times, since the child was often bullied and she had stepped in several times to stop it. She also knew, although it wasn't in the child's file for some reason, that the girl, Luna, was a seer. The creatures she made up, the ones that got her teased, helped her cope with the things she saw, although she thought some of those creatures might actually exist. Between her, Filius, and Sybil, they had done their best to stop the bullying and to help the child through her first year, but she knew there was much the girl had not told them. She would have thought that Luna would have mentioned assault to one of them, though, since the child had spent much time at the Malfoy's and had heard the lectures of her rights as a child.

“Her father just left her alone? How old is she?” Remus growled, raising an eyebrow. Alexis' said it like it was a nothing but if she already had a social worker, then it wasn't just a one time thing. He wouldn't leave either of his two children alone for more than a day, but perhaps this was an older teenager?

“Recently twelve. Her father means well but from her files and from speaking with her, she has been removed from his care at least once a year since her mother passed away. The trips he takes are often dangerous and he doesn't want to put her in danger, so he leaves her at home or with the Malfoys. Luna told me that she doesn't really mind much, but that she does get lonely. He isn't suppose to leave her alone for more than three days, at her age.” Alexis sighed, understanding the older man quite well. After all, she wouldn't leave any of the children at Hogwarts unsupervised for that long, no matter their age. Most children weren't responsible enough to use their magic wisely when left alone. Even at school they had supervision, or they were supposed to anyway. The Gryffindors had never had that supervision and she knew they would probably fight against it now, but she'd be damned if they'd run unchecked. No longer.

“Twelve?!” She was Karrie and Harry's age and left alone for two weeks?! Remus frowned, raising an eyebrow in thought. Even if she was a mature twelve year old, she was still a child and no child should be left on their own for so long, especially a magical child.

She sighed softly, nodding and standing stiffly. “We will have to continue this later. I need to get her file together for Lucius.” She remarked quietly, meeting amber eyes. She had so much to do still, so much work left for this school, so that it would be ready for September. Alexis knew that everything would not be perfect by the start of classes, but perfect wasn't the goal. Not in a castle full of children. Stable, safe, well-balanced. That was the goal. And she would make it so or die trying.

-x-

Alexis groaned, looking up from her desk for a moment. The tingling in her head...someone was out of bed. She glanced at the clock, raising an eyebrow. It was three in the morning. She pushed herself up, summoning her robes with a twitch of her hand. She shrugged the black robes on, striding easily through a side door and down the stairs. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting her mind settle and focus on the magical signature of the child, attuning herself to the Castle's call. Gray eyes snapped open and she turned suddenly, working her way toward the second floor. She let Hogwarts lead her, moving swiftly. The child wasn't in imminent danger but distressed. The closer she got, the more she could feel that distress, that fear. She slipped into the room silently, gazing around the classroom for a moment before spotting the girl curled up against the wall. “Ariana.” She recognized instantly, moving swiftly to crouch beside the teenager.

The blond swiped angrily at her eyes, blinking rapidly for a moment. “I'm fine, Alexis.” Ariana growled softly, biting her lip for a moment. Of course the healer would find her. The Headmistress always seemed to know when she was needed, even if she wasn't exactly wanted. Why the woman was even up this late, she didn't know. She didn't even want to be up this late.

“Someone once told me that _fine_ stood for Fucked up, Insecure, Narcotic, and Emotional..” She replied dryly, dropping from her crouch to sit against the wall beside the teenager. She moved slightly so that she could see the child, hoping that the girl would relax enough to speak with her. For the child to be up this late and to be here, in the upper level Charms lab, instead of with her sister meant that she was not alright, not at all.

Ariana blinked before giggling suddenly. “I won't argue that I'm not fucked up. Who told you that? Tim?” She smirked briefly, glancing at the woman before dropping redden eyes back to the floor.

“Eric.” Alexis answered with a shrug, meeting the teenager's eyes before the child was able to look away. She knew that many older adults would frown down on the way she spoke with this teen, with all of the older teenagers, but it was also how she had such a good success rate when she was working primarily as a Mind-healer. She treated them like equals, like the people they were, and they returned the favour by opening up, by trusting her, by being honest. She had learned that if she was open with them, answered their questions and spoke to them frankly, that they would be more willing to talk to her, especially when they needed help or comfort but just couldn't admit it. “I was your age and shocked to hear the kind man swear.” She snorted softly, glancing at the blond-haired teenager again. The girl's hair was dirty, her face unwashed. They had convinced the children to bathe daily, although it was a fight with some of the preteen boys, to try and teach good hygiene habits. Clearly someone had skipped showering tonight... “How long have you been in here?” She inquired finally, keeping her eyes on the far wall, but watching the child out of the corner of her eye.

“An hour? Two?” Ariana shrugged, biting her lip and digging her nails into her palms again. She watched the red lines form, knowing that it would fade within minutes. It always did.

So the child must had either been suppressing her feelings or the Castle's magic had decided that enough was enough, that the child needed _someone_. She was surprised, though, that the child had been gone for two hours and no one had noticed yet. The counselor on duty was suppose to do bed checks and the wards should have alerted them that a student wasn't in bed. The teen might have bypassed the wards...or she might not have gone to bed at all. The wards only activated when the child was in bed, so if she had stayed in the lounge or been working at her desk, the wards wouldn't have registered her. That was something she needed to look into and fix. That, or someone hadn't been doing their job properly. “Why come here to this classroom?” Alexis questioned quietly, glancing around the Charms lab once more. A shrug was her only answer. “You feel safe here.” She remarked finally, gazing at the girl for a long moment. Blue eyes flicked to hers and then away; she was right then. “That makes me wonder what caused you to feel unsafe; what scared you enough to make you run here, in the middle of the night.”

She closed her eyes, biting hard on the inside of her cheek for a moment before staring blankly at the floor once more. What did the woman want from her? She knew the Headmistress cared about her students, but she couldn't possibly care about all of them all at once. There was just too many of them and the others needed her help more. Didn't they? After all, she was nothing. Nobody. Just a tainted girl and she would never be clean enough, she knew that. No amount of showers would make her pure again, so she stopped trying. Stopped scrubbing her skin until it bled, stopped brushing her hair. Ariana made sure that Lila was clean still, but Lila was pure, good, untainted. The little girl could never be unclean, she deserved the use of showers. But she didn't and she knew it. After all, why bother cleaning something that would always remain dirty? There was nothing she could tell the Headmistress and she knew that. Nothing that the woman could possibly understand. “You wouldn't understand.” She murmured finally.

“Try me.” She responded nonchalantly, leaning back against the wall.

She huffed softly, shaking her head. What could she say after all? What was there to say? Ariana knew that she was dirty, tainted, bad. How could she explain that to the Headmistress? How could the older woman possibly understand the meaning of today, the reason why she was still awake? The reason she wanted to take a knife to her wrists...but she was not a self-harmer, she had never been one. Sometimes, yes, she scratched herself or dug her nails into her skin, but she wasn't a real self harmer. But on this day, she always wanted to take a blade to her wrists, to just make it all end. But she couldn't. Lila needed her. The older woman would never understand, how could she? She shook her head slightly, staring at her slipper-covered feet.

“Why not? What's the harm in trying? I might surprise you.” Alexis inquired calmly, biting back a sigh. She couldn't force the child to talk to her, but she wasn't going to leave her by herself right now either. Something had caused Hogwarts to alert her to the child's presence, so something was clearly wrong.

“You don't know what it's like. You can't understand! No one can.” She growled, frustrated. But she knew that wasn't true. There were people in her group who did understand, she knew that they would, even if she had never talked to them about it. What's more, she had a feeling that both Charlie and Kate would understand, but she also knew that she would never ask them about it. She didn't know how.

“What can't I understand? What don't I know?” She pushed, turning so that she could fully see the teenager.

“You don't know what it's like to be dirty! To be so tainted, so bad! And then to have the date come up and to be shocked by it! Because I was fine! But I shouldn't be! It's all my fault!” The teenager erupted, jumping to her feet and pacing rapidly in around the room for a moment before dropping lifelessly back to the floor, hugging her knees and burying her face into them.

She hesitated for only a moment before resting a hand on the girl's shoulder. “It wasn't your fault.” She murmured softly, understanding quickly what had upset the girl. The anniversary of her rape, or perhaps the anniversary of the first time. She knew for a fact that the child had been raped repeatedly; her medical records reflected that, even if the child would not speak of it. “Nor are you tainted, dirty or bad.” She added quietly, wrapping her around around the younger girl's shoulders and gently pulling her closer to her.

“Don't. I'll taint you.”She whispered, biting her lip to keep the tears from escaping again. They always did, on this day. She couldn't fight it, couldn't ignore it. This day had always and would always suck, she knew that. There was no getting around it.

“Hush child, you will not. You could not. If you believe yourself to be tainted, then I, too, am tainted.” Alexis replied firmly, letting the smallest bit of calming magic fall into the blond.

She blinked, meeting the woman's eyes for the first time in several minutes. “But...you can't be.” She whispered, tilting her head absently.

“I once believed I was. I am, however, not, and neither are you. Being raped was not your fault, just as it wasn't mine nor the hundreds of women and men who have been raped around the world.” She stated calmly, keeping her eyes locked with blue so that the younger girl would understand that what she said was true.

Ariana frowned, shaking her head slightly. The headmistress couldn't be bad or dirty, nor tainted. The woman was too good, too kind. But then, if the older woman had been raped and she wasn't those things, then why was she? She knew, of course, that she was not the only person to be...hurt like that, but she had thought she was the only one who felt tainted, used. And perhaps she was tainted. But maybe she wasn't? How could she not be, though? “ I don't understand.” She grimaced, dropping her eyes back to the floor.

“What don't you understand, child?”

She hesitated for a moment, taking a deep breath before forcing herself to look up again. “How am I not tainted, Professor? All those things they did to me...how could I not be?” She whispered finally, digging her nails into her palm again.

“What _they_ did to you was not your fault, nor your choice. You are _not_ tainted because someone hurt you, someone used you. It doesn't make _you_ bad or dirty. It was them, Ariana. They are the only ones who deserve blame here. What happened to you isn't who you are; it is part of you now, but it doesn't define you. You are a good, strong, wonderful young woman, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.” Alexis answered briskly, firmly, her tone allowing no room for argument. There was nothing wrong with the younger woman; she was not tainted because of what had happened to her, nor was she weak. But she knew that wasn't something the teenager would accept automatically. It would be an upwards struggle from here, but the child wouldn't be alone in it. She wrapped both arms around the sixteen year old as the girl finally broke down, silent sobs wracking her slight body. “Sh, child. I got you. I got you now, you are safe.” She whispered soothingly, rubbing gentle circles in the the child's back, hugging her tight.

For the first time, she believed it. She was safe now, here, in her Headmistress' arms. Ariana closed her eyes for a moment, letting the soothing voice of the older woman calm her nerves. She was s _afe_ in those strong arms that held her like she was one of the Healer's own. And perhaps she was, perhaps being the woman's ward meant that she cared for her just as she did for the children she bonded with. Magic was a funny thing, after all. It worked in ways that she would never understand. But that was okay, she was safe for the moment and she didn't really need to understand _why_ , just that she was. That it could only get better from here.

-x-

Charlie fought back a frown, glancing at the Headmistress. The woman seemed asleep in her eggs! She was clearly exhausted, but then many of them were exhausted. There were no real days off here; he was almost always on. And that meant keeping an eye on his boys. Most of which were eagerly digging into their breakfast, although there were a few who were still half asleep. And then there were those who slowly picked at their food, children who pretended to eat by pushing the food around and dropping bits onto their laps, the table, the floor. His boys would be rowdy soon, definitely by ten. It was Friday as well, so...sports first? No, that was tomorrow's schedule. Today must be art first then, art therapy as well, so all of them had to attend. That would be fun. One of his boys had informed him that art was 'sissy' but there was so much magic in art, if only the children could see it. He shook his head, watching the Headmistress for a moment more before turning back to his own breakfast.

-x-

Harry frowned, tongue poking out between his teeth, head tilted to the side in concentration. He blindly groped for a different coloured pencil, using the purple to shade in parts of his drawing. Art was something that he enjoyed creating, when the adults weren't always analyzing it. Just because his paintings and drawings were a bit dark, they automatically assumed something was wrong. But it wasn't. He was fine, he just liked drawing like this. It made him feel better. He furrowed his brow for a moment, picking up the red pencil again; his dragon was nearly finished now.

Teddy grimaced, staring down at his own drawing. Melody had asked them all to draw something that they had dreamed about, something that had stuck with them, and she had said it could be a good dream _or_ a bad dream, but he didn't have good dreams often and when he did, he never remembered them. So he had tried to remember an okay dream, one that wouldn't freak Melody out. Charity's art class was funner, to him at least, because it was much less about therapy and more about creating and expressing themselves. Although perhaps this was still an expression of himself, even if it wasn't one he really liked. He hated when they asked about his drawing and someone always asked; he didn't want to explain what went on it his head. He scowled down at the monster he had drawn for a moment more before glancing over at Harry and then Karrie. Harry was drawing a person in his dragon's claws, probably less of a dream and more of his imagination, but Karrie hadn't even picked up any of the pencils. She just sat there silently, hands fold in her lap. Melody had already been past them a few times now and she kept stopping to speak to Karrie, but his friend seemed to be withdrawn today. That was okay, they were all like that sometimes. He could understand that.

Harry picked up a darker red pencil, deciding to define the scales of his dragon better. He liked drawing dragons; well he really just liked drawing, like Karrie liked cooking. Karrie... he sighed, glancing at his sister for a moment. He would have to make a distraction later so that she could escape again. Neither of them ever got far, but he knew she needed the break from the constant eyes, the constant chatter. They all did sometimes. He turned back to his dragon, ignoring Melody as she came past him once more. He knew she looked at his drawing but she said nothing and kept going. Good. Perhaps today she wouldn't ask and he could just draw in peace.

-x-

Alexis bit back a sigh, surveying the two boys in front of her. Karrie had gone missing an hour ago and she wasn't in her safe room. Although she was twelve and capable of being alone and taking care of herself, there _was_ a reason they didn't want her left alone. Getting two preteen boys to help them was going to be difficult, and she knew that. But their tracking spells had failed and the girl had taken off her bracelet, the one that would allow them to find her. Somehow a preteen girl was hiding her magical signature and Hogwarts was practically screaming in her head to _find this child, now_. If Hogwarts hadn't been, she would have just let the girl be alone, until the child was ready to be found. But She knew something was wrong, even if the castle wasn't able to tell her where the girl was. She wasn't inside, for one thing. She had to be on the grounds, somewhere. “I know you want to protect your friend, and Karrie isn't in any trouble, I would just like to know where she is boys. If she has a favourite place to go or a little hide away, please tell me. We would like to find her.” She remarked finally, watching Harry squirm in his chair for a moment. Teddy was the opposite; her child was completely still. They had already checked every hide out they could find, but no luck. The boys might have some clue where she would go. It was also because of Harry that Karrie had been able to slip away. Their group had been at an activity and Harry had distracted both the group leader with them and the activity leader while Karrie had been able to leave unnoticed. She knew it wasn't just a coincident; Harry's expression had been guilty when she had first mentioned that Karrie was missing and neither boy had acted surprised.

Harry swung his legs, watching his trainers skim over the top of the carpet. Karrie was fine...wasn't she? They were nearly adults! They didn't need babysitters! He understood why they watched Teddy, 'cause Teddy harmed himself sometimes like he did; but they didn't need to know where they were at all times. The adults never cared when school was in session, although there were a lot more students around and there were prefects everywhere then. He knew Remus and Severus wouldn't be happy with him, but he couldn't tell her where Karrie was. She'd get mad and it was their hide out, if Karrie had managed to sneak out there. He glanced at Teddy, scowling slightly when the older boy merely nodded. Why would Teddy want to betray their friend?

“Is she in danger, Alexis?” Teddy questioned finally, glancing up at the older woman. She sounded worried, even if she did hide it well. For Alexis to be worried meant that something was wrong. He didn't want Karrie to get hurt but he also didn't want her to hate him for telling. He wasn't a tattler. He just wanted Karrie to be safe.

“I don't know but the Castle seems to think she is.” Alexis replied quietly, meeting each boy's eyes in turn. She knew being honest with them would help them learn that she could be trusted, so she was. There was no reason to lie the the two boys, after all. She really didn't know if the child was in danger but she just had this feeling that she was. She raised an eyebrow, noticing the not-so-subtle look between the preteens and the slight flashes of fear in their eyes.

Harry hesitated, meeting Teddy's eyes for a moment. The school was Sentient and he knew that the Headmistress could feel the wards and speak to the castle, otherwise she wouldn't always pop up when something was going terribly wrong. But she would be mad and Severus and Remus would be mad. Their hideout wasn't somewhere that the teachers would just come across, not unless they were looking for it. When Teddy finally nodded he dropped his eyes back to his trainers, wishing once more that he still had his fringe of hair to hide behind. “She's at our hideout.”He murmured, biting his lip.

“Where is your hide out, boys?”

Teddy grimaced, not meeting Alexis' eyes. She wouldn't want him now, he had been bad. Hadn't he? Hadn't they? “In the forest.” He whispered, digging his fingers into his knees.

She blinked, leaning forward and resting her wait on her hands. “I'm sorry, did you say the forest? As in the _forbidden_ forest?” No wonder Hogwarts could not locate Karrie if she was in the forest. But the child had not crossed the wards yet, so perhaps she was not too far in?

He nodded, flinching slightly. She wasn't happy with them but she didn't sound angry, not like his father would have been. Not that his father would have cared if he had done something 'dangerous'. Although it wasn't that dangerous, they hadn't gone far into the forest, just to a rather large tree. “It was just a bit inside, under a large tree. Right near the edge.” Teddy answered finally, staring at the edge of her desk.

She bit the inside of her cheek, surveying the two boys for a moment longer. As much as she wanted to scold them, she knew she needed to find Karrie first. She also needed to calm down, otherwise she might say something harsh or that she didn't mean. “Alright Teddy, Harry. Why don't you go to our sitting room while I go find Karrie?” She suggested, although it wasn't really a suggested. Those two were going to either her quarters or Severus' until she could get back. Since Severus and Remus were both looking for their ward, it would be her quarters, where Bain would be in earshot of the boys, so that they didn't explode her quarters or something. She wouldn't put it passed them. The two boys nodded, rising slowly and then dashing in her quarters without ever meeting her eyes. It was going to be a long afternoon.

-x-

Alexis growled a curse under her breath, stumbling over yet another branch. She had alerted several members of the staff that the child was in the forest, but right now it was just her and Hagrid. Hagrid knew the forest and woods well; she had the magic of Hogwarts flowing through her veins and with her own magic, she could follow the pulse of magic that would be Karrie's. The boys had said that the hideout was on the edges, so that was where they were looking first. If she wasn't there, then they would have to summon more staff to help search deeper, if Karrie didn't appear before then. She grimaced, stumbling again. This time, however, she fell, sliding down the slight slope and grimacing at the brief flare of pain in her ankle. “Verdammit.” She hissed, letting her eyes drift around the area she had fallen into. This was odd. A few metres in front of her was nothing. Nothing. No grass, no trees, no damn rocks. Nothing. Alexis stood slowly, silently releasing the spell on her wand holster so that her wand dropped instantly into her hand. She focused for a moment, honing in on the wards surrounding the school. She was well within them, several kilometres within the border. She could sense the magic coming off of the area in front of her, but it wasn't a cloaking spell. It wasn't anything cast by humans or elves. She was even fairly certain that it wasn't cast by goblins either. She couldn't tell what was behind the wall of nothing but her stomach tighten suddenly in dread. Something told her that Karrie was behind that wall. The logical thing would be to call for her brother and father, to see if the three of them could reveal whatever lied beyond. But she was rarely very logical when it came to her students.

She took a deep breath, hand tightening around her wand, and stepped forward slowly. It was a few metres before she hit the wall and she flinched, gasping as the magic washed over her. “Scheiße!” She growled, taking another step through the wall. She froze, eyes darting around the small clearing, landing on the girl laying still underneath a large...Rowan tree. The child was under a Rowan tree in the middle of a clearing hidden by a wall of powerful magic. The only tree in the clearing, although flowers grew in clutches all around. “Karrie?”

_-She is safe, just sleeping.-_

Alexis hissed, gazing around rapidly. The voice wasn't aloud though: it sounded within her ears. She took a deep breath, realizing quickly that she needed to calm down and be polite, as she didn't know who, or what, she was dealing with. “May I attend to her?” She inquired slowly, respectfully.

_-Of course, Protector. You may step beneath the Rowan tree.-_

“Thank you.” She responded before slowly moving toward the tree. She knew rushing would be rude and could be dangerous, if anything in this clearing suddenly saw her as a threat. She finally reached the preteen, dropping beside her instantly. She took the child's wrist in her hand, sending waves of magic over her body, just to check. Karrie was perfectly healthy. She frowned, furrowing her brow in puzzlement. The child had not been perfectly healthy when she was at breakfast this morning. She still needed to gain weight, that was true, but all her old injuries, ones that had been healing slowly with help from her and Eric, were gone. They were all gone. Every injury she had at her last appointment was gone. She had only a few then and now...none. “What- how is this possible?” She murmured softly, mostly to herself.

_-She was hurting, I healed her. But alas, I cannot heal all. The boy who came with her, a few days gone, he was sick with something I cannot fix.-_

“Teddy?” She questioned, feeling the silent affirmative. But there was something she had to know. “Why did the Castle think you were dangerous?”

_-That old stone? She does not. This little one was in danger, but not from me. When she came running into the Forest, she stumbled on something she should not have and she was seriously injured. The Centaurs brought her to me. That is why she sleeps still. Her body was hurt. I could not heal it with her awake.-_

“What harmed this child?” She growled instantly, checking over the preteen once more.

_-A direwolf.-_

“But they don't harm pups! And they don't hunt during the day. Direwolves are nocturnal.” Alexis scowled, glaring at the ground for a moment in thought. The only reason a direwolf would attack a child, during the day no less, would be if its own pups were threatened or...she swore softly, tracing her wand over the girl in an intricate design. There is was, the traces of a brief, now gone, infection. She growled softly, leaning back and holding her hand out, palm up. A ball of energy sprang up and she sighed, taking a deep breath before starting to speak into it. “Hagrid. There is a sick direwolf in the forest. Find it. If it is not treatable, _put it down_. I found the child. I will return with her shortly. She is fine.” She stopped, staring at the ball for a moment before nodding. It disappeared instantly and she knew it would reach the half giant within seconds. He kept losing his pendant so that was the only way to get a message to him. The direwolf had to be found before someone else was harmed. She hesitated for a moment, studying the child intently, before resting her hands on her knees and rocking back on her heels. “Thank you for saving her.” She whispered finally, head bowed in respect. Alexis knew that she would not have reached the child in time to save her from the poison. But now the girl was safe and she would only need a follow-up potion to make sure there that the poison was entirely gone.

 _-I did my duty as you do yours. I protect the young, the innocence, and those whose innocence has been stolen from them. I cannot right the wrongs done to these children, but I can give them a safe place where they can forget for awhile. The three little ones who have visited me recently are not the first children to find comfort here, to find safety under these branches, and healing from my essence. But I can only heal them once; more than that and my magic would overpower their bodies, so I only heal those who are gravely injured. Only those in need may find this glen.-_  
  
“May I ask who I am speaking with?” She requested finally, after several moments of silence. She could feel the magic in the earth, in the very air, so she knew that this was indeed a magical glen. A very powerful magical presence was here and even if the centaurs knew who, or what, it was exactly, she knew they probably would give her some non-answer as they always did.  
  
 _-Have you no guess, young sorceress? Casilla would not allow you to walk into danger.-_  
  
So Hogwarts _did_ have a name. The stubborn castle had informed her that she would have to discover it on her own, that She would not reveal the name the Founders had christen her with, all those years before. But this presence she felt was much older than the school. “You are not Fae nor Elven, even Woodland Elven. You are not even a sprite or spirit.” She hesitated, chewing on her lip for a long moment. She had felt the magic of each of those in the past and this was no where close. This was magic that was of the earth itself. This was old magic. And that meant... She gave a half bow from where she still knelt next to the child, eyes lowered out of reverence. “My Lady.” She whispered. She felt the very air shifted around her and shivered suddenly, eyes still locked on the ground.  
 _  
-You need not bow before me child. We have the same duties, the same vows, you and I. We are both protectors, we will both protect this land and this school with the last of our breaths and our magic. Few would recognize my presence for what it is, but not you, mage-child. The moment I allowed you entrance, you knew who I am, deep down, even if you were not quite ready to accept it. I am the Goddess of this Forest, this Glen is a place of healing, for creatures and young wizardlings alike. I have heard your prayers and acknowledged your offerings. When you offer blessings to Magic, to the Earth, to these Grounds, we hear you. You practice magic older than you can even imagine, and you do it with a dignity and respect that puts many who were raised with Old Magic to shame. You need not bow before me child.-  
_   
She straighten slowly, knowing quite well that she would not _see_ the Goddess but she appreciated her eyes too much to care. “Yes My Lady.” She murmured, resting back on her heels once more.  
  
 _-I do not wish anyone to know that I am here. You will be able to speak only of a healing glen and the children will never know that I am the one to calm them, that when they sob their secrets under these branches, that I will hear them and keep them. I do ask that you allow the children who need this place to come here. Casilla and I will come to an agree on how to alert you that they are safe. Any child who needs this place will be able to find it, it is no accident that they come here. Now sleep, young Sorceress.-_  
  
Alexis blinked rapidly, fighting the urge to close her eyes. She knew she would not forget but she also knew she would only come here, only be allowed her, if there was a need for her to be. And that was alright. Her children would be safe in the Glen and she had the feeling that the children were drawn directly to the Glen, on a much easier and shorter path than she had taken. She finally stopped fighting and her eyes closed, the last thing she saw was the elf that popped into the clearing at a call that she could not hear.  
-x-

Alexis groaned softly, forcing her eyes to open. She had not slept that well in a long time and while she knew she had children to scold, a child to check on, and work to be done, she merely wanted to sleep for just a bit more. She didn't even care how she came to be in her quarters, she just wanted to close her eyes and allow herself closer to the magic of Hogwarts and the lands surrounding it. She took a deep breath, rolling over and allowing her eyes to close once more before falling into a true, dreamless sleep.

-x-


	24. Fighting

  
She sighed softly, massaging her temples for a moment. Gods, but was she tired! She finally had all the booklists and had gone through each of them, some of which she would have to send back to her professors and have them change their lesson plans and course material. Some of it was just too outdated to keep using. The several hours of pouring through booklists had taken its toll. She had a migraine and she knew it was pointless to go to bed now. Besides that, she had received an owl with the newest headache she would have to solve. One of her students had accidentally started the bonding process with his intended and they went to separate schools, which was only problematic because of the nature of the bond. According to the boy's father, separating the two, at the moment, caused intense pain; until the bond was completed and the ritual done, the two could not be separated for any long period of time. Which would make being in separate countries extremely difficult. How two boys 'accidentally' started a blood-bond, she didn't even  _ want  _ to know. And then there were the piles of paperwork she had to finish, so of course she didn't sleep last night and now it was Sunday morning. Alexis grunted softly, standing stiffly and stretching sore joints. So much work to do but it could happen after she had breakfast with her boys. 

-x-  
  
Severus grunted, blearily opening his eyes. He had been awake but that didn't mean he was ready to get up. Curse Remus for sending two sets of puppy eyes to jump on him! He glared at the two children who jumped on his bed for a brief moment before snaking an arm out and catching a foot. He grinned evilly, tickling the captured foot mercilessly to the sound of childish shrieks. Music to his ears.  
  
“Harry! Help!” Karrie laughed, trying to crawl away from evil fingers. She squealed, breaking down into giggles when Severus found her ribs.  
  
Harry grinned, launching himself onto the older man with a giggle, forgetting for a brief moment that he was too old to act like this. He had to save his sister, after all. What better way than to give Severus a taste of his own medicine?  
  
Severus moved quickly, catching the boy's weight so that he didn't land on his sister nor hurt himself. He groaned when four little hands dug into his ribs, giving a fond smile to the child sitting on his chest. He gave a bark of laugh as the children realized that he, too, was ticklish. Oh, he would get Remus for this! The older man was turning him soft. But if he was honest, he had always had a soft spot for children, especially green-eyed little menaces who clamored all over him.  
  
Remus chuckled, tucking the camera back into his pocket. The sight in front of him was truly magical. When Alexis had informed them that Karrie had encountered a sick Direwolf, his heart had nearly stopped. But the child was alright, healed in a mysterious glen that Alexis had trouble speaking of. His children were safe, although they had scolded both of them for the terror they had caused in their hearts. And here they were, two little twelve year olds, jumping all over his partner and acting like the children they were never allowed to be. It made his heart warm. He smirked at Severus, knowing quite well that the younger man could get away from the children if he chose to, before adding his own fingers to the attack. Breakfast could wait for a few minutes, if it helped his children to relax around them.  
  
-x-  
  
“Bain?” Tim inquired quietly, frowning at the teenager who stood outside their door. It was just after nine in the morning and most boys his age would still be in bed, sleeping in for as long as they were allowed. Even if they were up this early, none would come to his and Eric's private quarters, not without reason. “Why don't you come inside?” He suggested finally, when the boy merely stared at his feet.  
  
The red-head grimaced, staring down at his feet for a long moment. This had been a bad idea. Why had he even come here? What good could come from it? None. He should just go back to Alexis' quarters, he was still grounded, after all.  
  
“Tim? Something the matter?” Eric called, coming toward the door with a sigh. The knock on their door had been unexpected, as they had been in the middle of something. He didn't know who or what had deemed it necessary to drag them away from their bed, but he was up now. The ward had shown it was a student knocking, that was the only reason Tim had gotten up to answer it. Counselors would have called with their pendants and the teachers would all be enjoying a brief morning break. He raised an eyebrow when his partner turned slightly, beckoning to the child in the hallway. “Bain? Come inside child.” He ordered after a moment, turning and striding toward the couch.  
  
He hesitated for a moment longer before finally stepping through the door. He had never been in here before but he had known where Tim and Eric's quarters were, mostly thanks to Elijah. This was a mistake. He should leave, now. He wasn't even quite sure how he had ended up here. He had been heading toward the dungeons, to see if Severus would let him brew, but his feet had brought him here. He was the one who decided to knock, that had been the mistake. What could he say to these men? What did he have left to say? Nothing. Nothing at all.  
  
Tim bit back a sigh, closing the door behind the child and casting a silent locking spell on it. He didn't need the child to suddenly decide to take off, not without telling them why he was here first. What had brought him to their quarters at this time on a Sunday morning? “Have a seat Bain. Tea?” He offered, nodding toward one of the armchairs. The boy merely shook his head, dropping wordlessly into the leather chair. He wondered, briefly, if Alexis knew where her child was before observing the child's body language for several long, tense moments. No, she probably didn't. Why had the boy come here, of all places? Usually the children here sought one of them out at their separate offices or in the Great Hall. Never in their private quarters. But then, this child would become family as soon as the adoption ritual was complete. Still, he had never sought either of them out before, not willingly.  
  
Eric watched the child for a long moment, glancing at his partner. He wasn't going to play the waiting game, not with this child; otherwise they could wait hours and the boy might never tell them what he needed. “What can we do for you, child?” He questioned calmly, breaking the silence and returning his eyes to rest of the teenager. He wasn't sure if the boy would prefer to speak with just one of them or both of them; probably neither of them.  
  
Bain hesitated, jiggling his leg for a moment before stilling instantly. “I...nothing.” He muttered, worrying his lip between his teeth. He knew it made him look like a child, but he didn't care at the moment. There was nothing to say. Was there? There were never any words when he needed them.  
  
“It isn't nothing if it is bothering you.” Eric drawled, arching a brow at the boy.  
  
Tim frowned at his partner for a brief moment before turning his attention back to the teenager. “Talk to us Bain. Surely it isn't nothing.” He added quietly. The child had yet to look at either of them.  
  
He clenched his fists for a moment, taking a deep breath and shaking his head. He didn't know. He just needed... “Help.” He whispered, eyes tracing patterns in the hardwood floor.  
  
Both men leaned forward instantly, watching the child closely. Eric moved first, standing slowly and going to crouch in front of the boy. He gently placed his fingers under the teen's chin, tugging it up carefully. He met blue eyes firmly, keeping the boy's gaze. “We are here. You are not alone. Talk to us.” He murmured softly, firmly. He wanted the boy to understand that they would listen, that they had him now. Whatever was wrong, they had him.  
  
He blinked, trying to lower his eyes but the older man kept his chin up, so he couldn't look at the floor anymore. “I can't do it anymore. Sev won't let me brew, so I can't lose it, can't escape. Hurts.” He murmured finally, glancing between the two men before settling on the one crouched in front of him. He knew why he came here, deep down. He trusted these two men, he trusted that Eric and Tim wouldn't hurt him or laugh at him. And while he knew Severus wouldn't either, his Master also had two preteens that needed him more. He couldn't take up the man's time. He shouldn't even be taking up their time. It was bad of him.  
  
“What are you trying to escape from?” Tim inquired, resting his hands on his knees and studying the child for a moment. There was no physical harm to him, that his magic could detect, and since Eric was closer, he knew the older man had scanned the boy. But that didn't mean there weren't mental wounds. In fact, he knew the boy had them. The child locked everything inside of himself and until this past Thursday, when Severus had discovered his experiments, he had seemed to be a blank slate. There were the outbursts of anger, from time to time, but the child rarely showed any emotion, his face was always a mask. Much as it was now, except for the pain and fear in those blue eyes.  
  
“Everything.”Bain whispered, closing his eyes for a moment.  
  
“Everything? That's a lot to escape from child. I know it hurts, but talking about it will help.” Eric encouraged softly, resting his free hand on the child's shoulder.  
The boy flinched, but he had expected it. He could guess many things that the child might want an escape from, hopefully not a permanent escape, but he also  
knew he could be wrong.  
  
“Nightmares. Brewing makes them go away, for a little while.” He replied finally, worrying his lip once more.  
  
Tim hesitated before moving slowly to crouch beside his partner but still where the child could see him. “You brew to forget, right? And when Severus took away your right to brew, as is his right as your Master, you couldn't forget anymore. Even if you could forget before, you were still angry. Now, you feel more than anger, don't you?” He inquired quietly, knowing from the shock in the boy's eyes that he was correct in his assumption.  
  
“I need to forget.” Bain whispered,giving a slight nod. He had to forget, he couldn't keep it all in his head, all the time. Keeping all those doors locked was hard and it was wearing on him. He couldn't handle all those emotions at once. Anger was okay, he was used to anger. The rest...he needed to be stronger than this, better than this.  
  
He sighed softly, gently squeezing the boy's shoulder.. “You can't really forget, Bain. Locking it away does more harm in the long run. I know it hurts and it bleeds into your sleep, but you have to start letting it out. Otherwise you will become a harden, angry man who is so locked away that no one is able to reach him.” Eric stated quietly, letting just a bit of calming magic flow into the child. He wasn't alone; he didn't have to do this alone. They wouldn't let him.  
  
“He's not just talking out his ass either. He's been there, I've been there. You cannot lock everything away, it starts to slip out as anger during the day and fear in the nights. It is unhealthy. But you are not in this alone. We will help you through this.” Tim added, reaching out to slowly rest a hand on the boy's other shoulder. He would speak to the boy later about talking to Severus, as he was the boy's Master, but for now, he would just be here. If the child wanted to talk, they would listen. And if he didn't, they would still support him.  
  
Bain took a deep breath, nodding slowly. For some reason, he believed them. Right now, he didn't want to talk about it. But he knew, with time, that he would. To these two men, to Alexis, and to Severus and Remus. His family. They were his family and he didn't even know how it happened. It just had. But that was alright, he would be alright. He hesitated for a moment, eyeing the open arms of both of the older men, before sliding slowly from the arm chair to the floor, into the arms of two men who didn't have to care about him, but did so anyway. He sank into their hold, feeling his anguish slowly melt away. He knew it would be back and he would have to deal with it, but he wouldn't be alone. They wouldn't leave him on his own.  
  
Tim and Eric exchanged glances over the boy's head, bundling him in a hug between them. It was not the first time they had used their joint power of love to get a teenager to trust them and talk to them, but it was the first time that that teen was not theirs. Alexis, Remus...both had succumb to their joint care and love. Severus would have too, but he had not spent much time with either of them before now. With Remus bonding with him and Alexis' being adopted by Filius, they were joining the two little families into a bigger single family. And these children came with it.  
  
 __“Does this make him our grandson?”  
  
“We are not old enough to have grandchildren! Even Remus' two...no. Filius can be the grandfather, Tim. We will remain as we are. Tim and Eric, extraordinaire.”  
  
“Perhaps I am not old enough...”  
  
“Wait until I get you to bed! Imp!”  Eric glared at the younger man, glancing down at the red head buried in his shoulder. He hugged the boy tighter for a moment, to give the child the comfort he craved, he needed. He was just thrilled that the boy had come to them, instead of keeping it locked in longer. And that he couldn't hear their silent conversation! With time, this child would heal and they would be there to help him through it.  
  
-x-  
  
Alexis frowned, looking up from an updated book list she had been reading, her hand flying to her pendant instantly. She met Severus' eyes and they stood as one, scowling suddenly. “Do you feel that?” She growled, glaring toward her floo. There was a problem in the cabins, the glow on both of their pendants singled that. The message however...  
  
“Yes. I believe Jake is angry.” Severus mused quietly, touching his own pendant for a brief moment. They would have to finish working later; if he understood that message correctly, some of the counselors were fighting. What was odd, to him, was that Jake had sent his emotions in that message. Jake, who was always in control of himself, always calm. For Jake to be angry, something must be wrong. “Shall we?” He inquired after a moment, nodding toward the floo. \  
  
Alexis growled softly, stalking through the floo...and dropping out in the common room. Gods, she needed to work on her exits. She growled, glaring at her brother when he nearly tripped over her, stepping gracefully out behind her. She took the offered hand, glancing around the relatively calm room for a moment. The children were lounging about, playing games, reading...being children. The counselors who were present were reading or talking, keeping certain children under watchful gazes. It wasn't until she caught Mary's eyes that she realized who, besides Jake, was missing. The other woman keeping glancing anxiously toward the door leading to the hallway of counselor rooms, even if each room was connected to a bunk room. This was the second entrance, with a door on that hallway leading out into the castle for easy access during patrols. Of course, none of the children had access to that hallway and she knew that she would not like what was on the other side of that door. But she also knew that she couldn't yell at them without knowing what was wrong first. She sighed, striding casually through the door on the far wall, nodding to the children and teens who glanced her way. There was no need for them to know that something was wrong.

Severus growled, nearly running into his sister when she stopped suddenly inside one of the doors to a counselor room. If he was right, it was the room connected to the younger boys cabin. So Phil and Charlie? He let the door shut behind him, nudging his sister so that he could see around her and then he froze, eyes darting between the three younger men. No wonder Jake had called them.  
  
“That is _enough_.” Alexis stated firmly, hand snapping out to summon the wands. She could see, from the magic, that Jake was merely holding a shield charm, to keep the room intact and the two younger men alive. Not that the shield did much to stop them from casting at each other, nor did it help that the shield wavered from time to time. She didn't know what had happened to cause these two friends to suddenly start hexing each other, but it ended _now_.  
  
He turned dark eyes to focus on Jake, the younger man was barely holding a shield charm and he had seen him stop a fight with ease before. He knew the young man had power, he was strong enough to hold a shield. But how long had he been holding it for? And why did his wrist look broken? “I believe Jake has been injured in the melee.” Severus murmured quietly, knowing from the slight nod that his sister had understood him. And it had been a good, quiet Sunday! He moved swiftly, dodging around the edge of the shield to stop beside Jake. He cast a quick diagnostic spell, raising an eyebrow at the results. No wonder the younger man was angry.  
  
“I said, _ENOUGH!_ ” She growled, catching their wands with her hand. Unfortunately, they still ignored her, wandless spells flying from finger tips. She swore softly, jumping between them in a move that she knew would be considered reckless by many in her family. She felt the first hex wash over her, as her brother hastily threw up a shield around her to stop the second. She grimaced slightly, ending the hex with a slight swish of her wand. Both of the young counselors stared at her, palms still stretched out, mouths gaping. She turned sideways, so that she could look between them easier, raising an eyebrow at them. “That is enough. Corners, now.” She remarked silkily, tone dangerous. She was not happy and they would do well to obey her.   
  
Phil snarled under his breath, glaring at the older woman for a moment. He let his arm drop, as Charlie had as well, but didn't move. He was not standing in a corner. He was not a child!  
  
Charlie bit back a sigh, knowing quite well that with anyone else, they would have already been fired. Taking stress out on each other like this wasn't protocol. But it had just sort of happened. He was overtaken by a brief moment of childishness; he wasn't moving until Phil did.  
  
She frowned, glancing between the two men. Were they really challenging her on this? After what she had just walked into? If it had been her and Severus, they both would have already been over their father's desk, for daring to point their wands at each other in anger. She took a deep breath, counting silently in Russian for a moment before finally snapping her wand out and sending stinging spells to two disobedient bottoms. “Corners, now.” She repeated, tone deadly. The twin yelps were occupied by a quick scurrying to the far corners of the room. Alexis watched them for a moment, glancing at her timepiece, before moving toward Severus and Jake. Severus had convinced the younger man to sit down on one of the beds; he looked exhausted. “Jake? What happened?” She questioned quietly, raising a one-way silencing spell around them before gently picking up his wrist and sending a scan through his body.  
  
He grimaced, shaking his head for a moment. “When I came in, they were throwing hexes at each other. I have no idea what caused it.” Jake sighed, glancing at  
the two younger men. Young and foolish, but this was unlike them. Unlike Charlie, at least. Phil had a quick tongue and while the blue-haired man might have tried to provoke this, he also knew that Charlie had a serious anger problem. Really, anything could have caused this.  
  
“How did you get hurt?” She inquired, raising an eyebrow for a moment as she rummaged in her pockets for a wrap. Alexis ran her wand across the bone in his wrist, her other hand resting on his shoulder. She eased the bones back into place before bandaging it with the wrap. A quick tap of her wand and the wrap hardened, forming a protective cast. The boys better not have turned their wands on Jake or there would be serious repercussions. 

“A stray hex.” Jake shrugged, glaring down at the cast for a moment. Great, now his boys would ask questions and he didn't really have an easy answer. It had made him angry, when he had been hexed. Oh, the first was an accident, and that was all he would tell Alexis about, but he knew the others had not been. He would be having words of his own with the two younger men later, in private, but Alexis could handle them now. Gods was he tired!  
  
Severus shook his head, watching the two young man fidgeting in their separate corners. There was something Jake wasn't saying, his body language betrayed him. But he also knew the younger man was drained. He would have been too. Those two boys... He would have to speak with Charlie, _again,_ about that temper of his before someone was seriously injured. He glanced at his sister, biting back a sigh. He would also have to have a word with her, although he doubted she would listen. But he couldn't scold her here, not now.  
  
She frowned slightly, before turning to the two young men. Jake wasn't telling her something. But that was alright, she would get in out of him later. She turned back, waving her hand as an after thought, and canceling whatever hex was left on him. She knew there had been another, but it didn't register in her medical scan; it was, however, probably making the young man uncomfortable. “Alright, both of you come here.” She ordered finally, conjuring two straight-back chairs and gesturing to them when the two men turned to look at her. “Sit.”  
  
Charlie grimaced, glaring at Phil for a moment, but the look on the woman's face was enough to make him, at least, obey. He stalked toward the chair and sat slowly, fighting down a wince. Merlin, his bottom stung! But he knew it could have been worse. Hell, it could still get worse. They were lucky she hadn't fired  
them yet.  
  
“Phillip, you will do well to listen to me. Sit down!” She growled, locking eyes with the younger man until he finally looked down. But he had yet to move.  
  
Phil glared at the floor. He wasn't some child! He flinched when yet another stinging hex hit his bottom and stalked over to the chairs. He dropped into it was a glare, wincing suddenly at the flare of pain. That had been stupid on his part.  
  
“Now, tell me what caused this.” She ordered briskly, arching a brow at the two men. She cast a diagnostic scan over them, frowning at the results. A quick finite canceled the worst of the hexes. What on earth had these boys been doing?  
  
“He started it.” Phil muttered darkly, shifting uncomfortably in his chair.  
  
“I didn't!” Charlie snapped back, glaring at the other man. He hadn't started it! Well, not the hexing. That had been Phil's fault. Yes, they had been arguing, but Phil was the one who hexed him first!  
  
“Enough.” Alexis drawled sharply, biting back a sigh. And it had been a good day, as well. “I don't care who started it. What I want to know is why it started in the first place.” She folded her arms across her chest and leaned back on her heels, gazing between the two men.  
  
Charlie sighed, staring down at the floor. Why had it started? They had been arguing over stupid nonsense and Phil had snapped. So he snapped back. And it had felt...good, to let it all out. Until Jake had got in the way and they had..oops. They had both hexed Jake, because he tried to stop them. There wasn't any real reason they had been fighting. Not really. “We were just arguing.” Charlie shrugged finally, glancing at the blue-haired man briefly.  
Phil gave a slight nod, staring blankly at the wall.. They had been arguing. He couldn't even remember about what. Perhaps over something the boys had done? And he had just lost control of his temper. He had been on edge for days, but so had Charlie. And they started hexing each other. It had been good stress relief.  
  
“Do tell us how an argument turned into a free-for-all melee.” Severus drawled, arching a brow of his own. He was quite prepared to let Alexis handle it, but that didn't mean he had nothing to add.  
  
“Yes, please do.” Alexis added dryly, eyes hard. Did they really believe that she would just let it go as an argument? Arguments did not end with a bystander having a broken wrist and hexes being tossed carelessly about! She was no idiot, she knew that while it might have started as an argument, something else caused them to start fighting.  
  
What could he tell them? Really, there wasn't anything to tell. They had both been angry and the fighting...it had helped. But Charlie had a feeling that the Headmistress would _not_ be pleased with that answer. “We were both angry and it just sort of happened.”  
  
“I see.” She replied quietly, gazing between the squirming blue-haired young man and the very rigid young man. Their body language spoke volumes. There was so much that Charlie wasn't saying that his body gave away. Of course they had been angry and perhaps they had even been angry at each other. But that didn't explain why they had kept hexing each other. Although she could easily guess. Alexis did, however, want to hear it from them and she knew the best way to do that. “Why don't you tell me the truth...Phillip?” She inquired softly, turning her gaze fully on the younger man. He gulped and she fought back a smirk.  
  
He grimaced slightly, bouncing his leg for a moment. He could never lie to her when she used that tone. He had tried before but he could never quite manage it. Gods above, why did she have to care so much about them? They weren't important! Were they? “We- I was angry and I just... hexed Charlie. So he hexed me and well...it went downhill from there.” Phil admitted quietly.  
  
“So you were both angry, perhaps not even at each other, and you lost your temper. Which in turn, led to Charles losing his. Then, you both realized the merits of such outbursts and used each other as stress relief. I am correct?” She summarized, shaking her head. Two nods were her only answer but it was really the only one she needed. Of course they had. She understood needing a away to release pent up stress and emotion, but on each other was not acceptable. Even if her and Severus did the same with their constant bickering. They didn't come to blows over it. “Then we need to find another outlet for the two of you. This is not acceptable. You are _never_ to point your wand at someone in anger. You are both lucky that I won't take your wands away until you learn to express emotion in healthy ways.” She scolded firmly, hiding a smirk. The two sets of eyes that jumped to hers held fear that she would take their wands. But she wouldn't. If only because they might need them, as pre-teen boys tended to cause disasters when they weren't watched. “This will _not_ happen again. Is that understood?” She added silkily.  
  
Charlie shivered, returning his eyes to the floor. That tone was dangerous and he hated having caused it. They wouldn't be doing anything like this any time soon. “Yes ma'am.” He murmured quietly, biting his lip for a moment.  
  
Phil sighed softly, jiggling his leg briefly. “Yes ma'am.” He replied, glancing up at her. The distaste on her face would have been amusing in any other instance. But how else were they to address her, if not formally?  
  
Alexis watched them for a moment longer, knowing quite well that a scolding wasn't enough. But she wouldn't fire them . No, they would have the same punishment as any of the children would have. Well, she couldn't ground them, as they had to be accessible to their boys at all times. “I want an essay and lines from both of you. Due with your end-of-week reports. The lines, of course, 'I will not raise my wand in anger', two hundred times. The essay you may write as an incident report. “ She stated briskly, smirking at the twin groans. The end-of-week reports were due Monday afternoon, to give those who slacked off a chance to finish them. The two men had their work cut out for them, but it was possible. If they had already finished their end-of-week papers. Which she doubted. “We will leave you to it. And boys, I want you at mediation tomorrow morning.” She added quietly, giving them a stern nod before turning and leaving the room. She knew Severus wouldn't be far behind and she did have work to finish, after all. One headache down, a thousand more to go.  
  
-x-  
  
Alexis growled, glancing up from her work. Severus had come and gone, taking part of his work with him. He had tried to speak with her, but she had ignored him. After all, there was nothing important to say. And she had told him that. Which didn't explain why there was a knock on her office door, a knock from her quarters. It wasn't one of the children, or the door would have glowed on her side. So it had to be an adult who had access to her quarters. Lucius would had floo'd her office first and the last she saw of Tim and Eric, they were having an evening in. Severus wouldn't have knocked. So who would be coming to visit her and why? “Come.” She growled, sneering at the door for a moment before turning back to her work.  
  
Remus opened the door casually, slipping quietly into the room and shutting the door softly behind him.  
  
“Remus.” She drawled dryly, not bothering to look up. Either he would get the message that she was busy and leave, or she would ignore him until he did so.  
  
“Alexis.” He replied calmly, studying the woman for a long moment before settling down in one of the armchairs. He could out-wait her. He was patient and he had out-waited Severus, after all. That man was _stubborn_. She was as well, but at least her magic easily accepted him as future Head of her family.  
She worked for several minutes in silence before finally glaring up at him. “Is there something you needed?” She inquired dryly, picking up another updated syllabus.  
  
“There was, actually. You see, I heard this story and I was curious if it was true.” He remarked casually, catching gray eyes with amber ones. He held them for a long moment, until she looked down at the parchment in her hands.  
  
“I am not interested in gossip, Remus. I have work to do.” She shrugged nonchalantly, staring blankly at the piece of parchment. She didn't care. She wasn't listening to some pointless lecture, if that was why he had come here. If it was, he could leave her in peace!  
  
“Oh? But it wasn't gossip. It was an interesting tale that involved you jumping, unshielded, between two young men who were in the process of hexing each other, even when you had other alternatives available.” Remus stated, leaning forward in his chair and resting his hands on his knees. She needed to realize that he wasn't here as an employee of Hogwarts but as part of her ever growing family.  
  
“And?” She snapped, glowering at him for a moment. She just wanted to get some work done! There was so much of it to do and not enough time. Couldn't they just let it go?  
  
“ _And_ it was dangerous. There were other, safer options. But you didn't think. _Again._ ” Remus replied dryly, arching a brow at her. He knew she often didn't think of her self first, but did she really care so little for her own safety? He knew there would be work to do, to get all members of their family healthy and happy, but she didn't have to make it harder.  
  
“What do you want me to say, Remus? I did my duty.” She snarled back, rapidly getting to her feet and starting to pace the floor. She had done what was necessary. Honestly, if they knew half the things she had to do when she worked on the dragon reserve! It was much worse than anything here, even angry young men with little control of their tempers. Maybe she had gotten hit by a hex, but life had dealt her a harsh hand; she was use to it. A little, painful hex would not break her. She was fine. Perhaps there had been other options; Casilla had already scolded her over it. As had Fawkes. She didn't need to hear it again!  
  
“Your duty is to risk your life?” He inquired quietly, eyes following her path. Just like Severus, she paced when she needed to think or when she was agitated.  
  
“If necessary, yes!” Alexis snapped, spinning around to glare at him  
  
 _-If Hogwarts or Her students are endanger, yes. But only then.-_ Fawkes trilled, landing on her shoulder and pecking her.  
  
She flinched, sneering at the phoenix for a moment. They had already had this conversation and she had enough peck marks. She didn't need any more. _-Fine, wise one. I understand. But I don't need to hear it from EVERYONE!-_ “Ow, Scheiße!” Alexis hissed, rubbing her ear. The damn bird had grasped her ear with his beak and pulled. And that had hurt! She glared at the phoenix, who had flown off to his perch and merely started preening himself.  
  
Remus fought to hide his amusement; clearly she had said something that Fawkes had not liked. “You promised me you would be careful, that you wouldn't be rash any more. And I am not the only one you had made that promise to. Filius, Tim, Eric...even Severus. And yet you have broken that promise countless times. Why, Alexis? Why do you care so little about yourself? Do you not see that you are just as important as the rest of us?” He questioned finally, tone serious. It was something he had wondered for a while now, ever since he had first started to care for the younger woman. When she froze in her pacing and dropped her gaze to the floor, he knew. She didn't see that she was important. She didn't believe her self worth anything. He knew that feeling well. But he was surprised Tim and Eric had not managed to teach her otherwise. After all, they had her for five years and then, even when she wasn't living with them, he knew that they checked in on her. Hell, they checked in on him and he was in his thirties! He frowned when she suddenly smiled, a genuine smile, and tilted her head back.  
  
Alexis closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of Hogwarts wash over her. She had been chosen for a reason, the Castle had told her that in her dreams the first week. She rarely had those dreams now, but she had learned the majority of what she needed in that first week and now she learned as she went, messing up and trying new things, to find what would work in her school. But she never got tired of this feeling, this _hug_ from Hogwarts. The Castle would not tell her the reason she was chosen, it was something she had to figure out on her own, but she knew it was partly because she did care so much for those students. Even if a pesky elf kept telling her that she couldn't properly care for the children if she didn't take care of herself first. And perhaps the elf had a point. Perhaps Remus had a point. She did care so little for her own safety, but she was raised that way. No one cared about her when she was small and by the time Tim and Eric got her, she was a messed-up teenager with volatile magic and an even worse temper. She sighed softly, feeling the magic retreat back to where it had came. “I'm sorry, Remus. I am bad at keeping such promises.” She admitted quietly, turning warm gray eyes to meet amber.   
  
“You are important, Alexis. You have worth. You must learn to think of safety, that of yours and others, before acting. Otherwise, someone will get hurt. And then who will protect your students?” He remarked softly, standing slowly and moving carefully toward her. “Could you try to do that? Can you try to think next time?”  
  
She bit her lip for a moment, seeing him as one of the heads of her family, before nodding. She would try, but she could not make any promises. “I will try, Remus.”  
  
He stopped beside her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a hug. “That is all I ask.” He replied, feeling her slowly relax in her arms. She was safe now and they would work on it. She would learn to care about herself if it was the last thing he did. Because she was important, and her job was important. But she could not heal nearly five hundred children without healing herself as well. They would just have to keep trying. Gods willing, everything would work out just fine.  
-x-


	25. Conversations

Teddy hummed softly, kicking his legs in the air. He was lying on his stomach on the floor of his room, his small assortment of dragons, and other magical creatures, scattered in front of him. He glanced up at the slight knock on his door, grinning up at the woman. “Alexis.”   
  
She smiled down at the child, entering the room slowly. The genuine happiness in her child made her happy. It had been a long, trying afternoon, even for a Monday. And she knew that the night could still go either way. It could be a quiet, uneventful night, or she could be waken in the middle of the night by the wards or a distressed teenager or...well, there were many things that could happen, some of which she would rather not think about. At the moment, she would much rather spend time with her youngest child than worry about...everything. She needed a break from the worrying and the planning. “Having fun?” She asked casually, sitting on the edge of the child's bed.  
  
“Uh-huh.” Teddy shrugged, picking up his favourite dragon and offering it to her.  
  
Alexis took it carefully, examining the white dragon with a small smile. “What's this one's name?” She inquired, turning soft gray eyes to focus on her child. For him to trust her with his dragons, something that he held dear, meant a lot. He was sharing his toys with her, something a younger child might do, but something that was usually hard for an abused child. Sharing a toy with an adult was risky for an abused child; an adult could decide to take it away or throw it away, much like Teddy's bastard of a father. Few, if any, of the younger children under her care would be willing to share their own belongings with an adult. That Teddy did so easily spoke volumes. The child trusted her and perhaps he didn't even realize how deeply he trusted her. It also told her something else, something she had expected from most of her children. His action of sharing was that of a younger child, someone who was nine or ten, at the oldest. His emotional and mental growth was a bit stunted and it was visible in moments like this. There were times when he acted like a prepubescent boy and times when he acted like a younger child. With time and care, he would heal and grow. So she would just enjoy him being a child for as long as possible, since he never had the chance before.   
  
“That's Old White and this is his mate, Juniper.” Teddy replied, picking up a dark red dragon and holding it up for her to see. He feel at ease in her presence and he knew that if it had been his father, he never would have shown him his favourite toys. Because the man destroyed everything good. But he wasn't with his father anymore. He had his Alexis now. Well, she was Elijah and Bain's Alexis too.   
  
“Juniper, eh? I see. Does Old White have any children?” Alexis handed the dragon back carefully, eyeing his small collection for a moment. The child didn't have very many toys at all, just the few he had gotten for his birthday and when they had taken all of the children shopping. She would have to pick him up something the next time she was out. She bit back a smirk, catching the face her youngest just made.   
  
“No.” He grimaced, shaking that thought away. He might like dragons but his weren't reproducing! That was just...uck. Maybe when he was older and he worked with real dragons...no, it was still gross. That did remind him of a question that he had been wanting to ask her, but he was afraid of making her mad. It wasn't something he would have asked of his father, for sure. Or any other adult.   
  
She chuckled softly, shaking her head as the child made one of his dragons dive as it puffed out bits of 'smoke'. Only a preteen boy would have that reaction to something mating.   
  
“Alexis?”  
  
She leaned forward slightly, frowning at the nervousness in her child's tone. He sounded almost...afraid. “Yes?”   
  
“Do you have a lover?”  
  
She blinked, staring at the child for a long moment. That was not what she had expected. At all. A lover! As if she had the time! “No child, I don't.” She replied quietly, keeping her tone even and calm. It was unexpected but not upsetting. There were worst questions the child could have asked after all.   
  
“Sorry.” He muttered, staring at his hands. He knew he shouldn't have asked, although she didn't seem angry at him.   
  
“You have nothing to apologize for, Teddy. I am not upset. Just curious as to what brought this up.” Alexis remarked, patting a place beside her. Brown eyes met hers for a moment before the child slowly got to his feet and dropped onto the bed next to her. She turned so that she was facing him, raising an eyebrow in question.   
  
“I was just curious. I want you to be happy.” Teddy shrugged, picking at the blanket, his eyes focused solely on a loose thread. That was partly true, at least. He did want her to be happy. He might have also heard Elijah asking Bain about it.   
  
She frowned slightly, tilting her head to the side. Why would the child think she wasn't happy? Busy, yes, but not unhappy. She had three wonderful, troublesome children and a school under her care. She was stressed, tired, and frustrated, but that didn't necessarily mean she was unhappy. And why on earth would he think she needed a partner to be happy? “I am not...unhappy, Teddy. I do not need a partner to be happy. I have you, Bain, and Elijah. That is all I need. Besides, if I had a partner, you would know. I wouldn't keep something like that from you.” Alexis responded finally, catching the child's eyes. It was true, she would tell them. If it was serious, at least. They didn't need to know about every one night rendezvous she had, although she was too busy even for that. There was too much work to be done before the summer was finished for her to even think of seeing someone, even casually.   
  
He glanced up at her, biting his lip. “But he said that having a lover makes people happy.” He argued hesitantly. He wasn't so sure about Elijah's argument, as having a lover never made his father happy. If anything, it made him worse when he was at home.   
  
He? So someone else said something to or around Teddy. She could easily guess two boys who might have. “Bain or Elijah?” She questioned quietly, making a mental note to speak with both older teens about what they said near Teddy. After all, the child said _lover_ not partner, and she did _not_ want her thirteen-year-old worrying about her sex life. It wasn't something _any_ of her children should be speculating on.   
  
“Elijah.” He muttered, staring at his blanket once more and brushing his hair off of his face. He didn't like giving the older boy up like that, but Alexis didn't sound angry. Just curious.   
  
“Teddy...I don't need a partner to be happy. Elijah is wrong on that account. Having a partner doesn't make someone happy. Having someone they love and care for, someone who loves and cares for them in return, that's what makes someone happy. I have that it our family. Severus, Remus, Tim, Filius, Eric, and my three boys are what makes me happy. That is all I need right now. Does that make sense to you?” She drawled gently, arching a brow at the contemplative child in front of her.  
  
It did sort of make sense. She made him feel safe and happier, at least. So why shouldn't having them make her feel happy? Happy was an odd emotion to him, one that he had only felt when he was with his friends. Finding it with an adult, with an odd collective family, was weird and confusing and scary. But it did make sense, deep down. Even if he didn't completely understand it, even if he had doubts that he was good enough for her, for their family, it did help. “Yes Alexis.” He replied finally, shrugging.   
  
She tousled his hair gently, giving him a fond smile. “I have to get back to work, but I'll be in the sitting room if you need anything.” She stood slowly, clasping his shoulder tightly for a moment. Her only answer was a nod and she moved to leave, glancing at her child once more.  
  
“Alexis!”   
  
She raised an eyebrow, turning around and catching an armful of teenage boy. She hugged him back, smiling down at the brown-haired boy before he finally pulled away, returning to play with his dragons. She watched him for a moment more before finally turning to leave. There was work to be done, after all.  
  
-x-  
  
Severus scolded down at the papers in front of him, wishing that they would do themselves just by the power of his glare. Duties of the Deputy included....a ton of paperwork. Alexis didn't tell him that when he agreed to this. Of course, he also knew that she was swamped with paperwork. Who knew that running a school required so many different documents?! Of course, most of those documents were important. The stack of papers he was going over now were invoices: food, supplies, class materials, things for the camp, and the daily costs of running the Castle. Which were important, but Merlin was it dull! He glanced up at the knock on his door, almost glad for a break from the work. Almost. Because it was during free time, when the children usually expanded the last bits of their energy before their appointed bed times and only a couple of hours before the Monday staff meeting. “Come in.” He called after a moment, setting the papers to the side. He raised an eyebrow at the young man who slipped into the room and shut to door behind himself.  
  
“May I speak with you, Sir?” He questioned hesitantly, hands clasped loosely behind his back.   
  
“That depends. Are you going to be 'Sir-ing' me? We've been over this Robert. In this office, there is no need for masks and posturing.” Severus responded dryly, nodding toward a chair. The young man sat stiffly for a moment, mask in place before slowly relaxing.   
  
“Sorry, Severus. It's hard to just drop it, you know?” He shrugged, brown eyes darting around the office once, out of habit more than anything else. He was safe here, he knew that. He had been safe here as a scared first year and he was safe here now, as a rising Sixth year. The forbidding man across from him would not hurt him, no more than he would harm any other child. But he wasn't a child anymore; he would be seventeen in the middle of September. Bain had said that nothing really changed and he was inclined to believe the other boy, but that wasn't why he was here, now. No, he was here for advice, advice that he wasn't sure he really wanted to hear.   
  
He leaned back in his chair, relaxing his demeanor so to relax the child. “I understand that, Robert. Now, what may I do for you?” He questioned casually, meeting the child's eyes for several long moments, until the boy looked away. “Not in trouble, I hope.” He added nonchalantly, resting his hands on his desk. He knew this boy well, knew how he responded to body movement. If he could see his hands, he would be more at ease. Even after nearly six years, the boy was skittish at times, especially when he was upset. He had worked hard to gain Robert's trust, and then his sister Nora's, he would not lose it by making a simple mistake. Not if he could help it.   
  
“No sir, not yet.” Robert rolled his eyes, glancing at Severus' hands for a moment. He was rarely ever in trouble anymore, and he had yet to get in trouble this summer. The worst he had done was mouth off to Jake and Henry, well mostly Henry as he respected Jake, and he didn't plan on doing anything that would get him into serious trouble. Not with Severus, anyway. “I wanted to talk to you about...”He hesitated for a moment, biting his lip. It was embarrassing but he had no one else to talk to; well Jake would listen, but he wasn't sure the other man would understand, and Severus had talked with him about it before, last year. It was just much more real now than it was then. “About a boy.” He finished softly, staring down at his lap for a moment.   
  
Severus fought down a chuckle, but he couldn't keep the amusement from his eyes. It was something about teenagers that made them incredible uncomfortable talking about their relationships with adults. He had noticed it before in his students, especially when he was giving them the 'Talk' as the little terrors had dubbed it. “We have talked about boys before.” He reminded quietly, arching a brow in question.   
  
He bit his lip again, fighting the urge to blush. They had talked of boys before, yes, but this was different. “That was in general, Sev. This is different.” He grimaced, glancing at the older man for a moment.   
  
“A specific boy, then? Do I get to know his name?” Severus questioned, watching the teenager's body language. He already knew who the boy was, he was more interested in if Robert trusted him with that information, or if the boy was only going to give him pieces of information. He could give better advice with more information and the teenager knew that. But then, the teen might not like his advice.   
  
He shrugged, eyes focused on the carvings in the arm of his chair. He knew that Severus had probably noticed, even Bain had noticed and confronted him about it, so he wasn't quite sure why the man asked, but he also trusted Severus. And he had come here for a reason. He just wasn't sure what that reason was yet. Whether he wanted the man to talk him out of it or not. Because he liked the other boy, a lot. “It's Elijah, of course it's Elijah. I like him, Severus. I don't know what to do.” Robert answered finally, glancing up to meet the older man's eyes.   
  
“What do you want to do?”   
  
He snorted, shifting in his chair for a moment. “Honestly? I want to snog him senseless and whisper sweet promises to him.”   
  
“No sex.” Severus drawled, fighting a smirk when the boy blushed crimson. He expected an argument at that order, but the teen merely gave a serious nod. Most teenaged boys would have argued and fought and ridiculed such an order. Sex was, to their hormones and inexperienced bodies, the entire point after all. But it wasn't. There was much more to a relationship than sex.  
  
There would be no sex. Not until Elijah was of age, at least. Not even seventeen, but of age to consent. And there was the problem. He would be seventeen in a month or so; Elijah was only fifteen and he would remain fifteen until April. April! He knew the age difference wasn't that large but it wasn't great either. He didn't have to be of age to snog, however. He could snog the other boy. But what if his hormones took over? What if he couldn't handle the physical contact and lashed out? What if he wasn't ready for a relationship? What if-  
  
“Robert, enough. Whatever you are thinking, enough. Take a breath, calm down.” He ordered, leaning forward with a frown. The child was pale and breathing hard; he was working himself into a panic and he didn't even know what it was over! “Elijah is not of age to consent but that doesn't mean you cannot have a relationship. It just cannot be sexual.” Severus added slowly, studying the boy closely for a moment longer.   
  
He took a deep breath,clearing his mind with ease of practice. Severus had taught him to mediate when he was a second year and he made it a habit to clear his mind when he was overwhelmed or feeling too emotional. It helped him keep calm, to keep from becoming angry or scared. He didn't do either of those emotions very well, although he had gotten better over the years, with Severus' help. Which was why he was here. Because the Professor always knew how to help him, what to say to make things better, how to make sense of the madness in his head. “I know sir. I'm just...I'm scared, Sev. Scared I won't be able to control myself, scared that I might lash out, scared that I'm not ready or he's not ready...scared that I'll fall again.”   
  
“I will catch you if you fall.” Severus replied quietly, the seriousness in his tone reflecting in onyx eyes for a moment. “It is alright to be scared, Robert. I would dare to say that it is normal even. You will make mistakes, you might argue or disagree with each other, it is to be expected. And if you lash out without meaning to...I don't think you will. You care about Elijah, enough to risk an awkward uncomfortable conversation with me. But if you are scared of lashing out, take it slow. And warn him, Robert. There is no shame in admitting a problem or letting someone know that you have problems. Chances are, he also has problems. If you don't think you are ready, tell him that. Everything does not have to happen at once. As for controlling yourself...I know quite a few spells and potions to reign in teenage boy hormones. But I don't think that will be a problem either, if you set boundaries with Elijah. If necessary, the three of us can have a conversation about it.” He sighed softly, seeing the fear still in the child's eyes. He knew what the boy was afraid of, but he also knew that even if he couldn't prevent it, he would catch it quickly enough to help.   
  
He hesitated for a moment, turning the older man's words over in his mind. He could tell Elijah, he knew that. The other boy was at the camp for a reason; even if he didn't have problems with physical contact, he might understand it. Better than anyone who wasn't from the camp, at least. They could take their time, they didn't have to rush into a relationship right away. But what if he fell again? What if he couldn't pull himself back up this time? What would happen to Nora? “But sir...what if I fall? Nora needs me.” He whispered, staring down at the backs of his hands.   
  
Severus rubbed his forehead for a moment, before resting his hand back on the desk. He had noticed weary eyes following his movement, after all. “Your sister needs you, yes. But you are not responsible for raising her anymore. She is as much a ward of Hogwarts as you are and adults who care about _both_ of you will raise her. She may need her big brother, Robert, but no one will take her away from you. No one will separate you two. The headmistress has already ordered that all siblings be kept together, she was very adamant about that. So there is no reason to worry about losing her." He replied after a moment, shaking his head slightly. There was the other part of the question still to answer and it was never an easy answer. "We all fall sometimes Robert. It's hard and it hurts, sometimes it is dangerous and it is always terrifying. But I promise you this: if you fall, I will catch you. It may be a day later, but I will find out and I will help you. I will not allow you to self destruct; not now, not ever. I caught you once and I will catch you again, if there is a need. You are not alone." He added firmly, briskly. And he would catch the child. He was bound to fall one day and he would do his best to be there and pick him back up. He slowly stretched his hand out on the desk, palm up and left it there, knowing the child would understand his offer.   
  
Robert hesitated for several long minutes, staring at the man's hand. But when it wasn't moved or retracted, he relaxed and slowly placed his own hand in the older man's, watching carefully as his other hand slowly rested on top of his own, two slender hands clasping his own gently between them. It was a gesture of comfort, of safety. It also brought back memories. He had been twelve years old and terrified of touch the first time Severus had caught his hand between his own. The man's hands had dwarfed his hands at twelve, now their hands nearly matched. His hands were a bit wider, his fingers shorter than the Potions Master, but the comfort was still there. There were so few acts of physical contact that he could stand; a shoulder clasp, an arm touch, a hand clasp, and the rare hug. When he did receive these acts of understanding, of comfort, of kindness, he cherished them. They meant a lot to him. He also understood the gesture better now than when he was a child. It was a way of offering safety and comfort without forcing contact on him if he didn't want it, which had helped him to start trusting Severus. And he did trust the man, he knew he wouldn't lie. If he happened to fall, the older man would catch him. "Thank you, sir." He whispered finally, meeting onyx eyes.   
  
Severus nodded, releasing the child's hand. "Talk to Elijah, Robert. And remember, I am here if you have any questions or any problems." He dismissed finally, raising an eyebrow when the boy smirked at him. He watched the teenager leave, picking up the stack of papers he had to finish with a sigh. That was a relationship he would have to keep an eye on but he was quite willing to do so. Both boys deserved to be happy, even if he wasn't sure both were ready for a serious relationship just yet.  
  
-x-  
  
"I want your end of week reports please!" Alexis called out over the scraping of chairs and restless bodies stretching stiff muscles. The meeting had lasted only an hour but she also knew that her counselors were tired and some of them still had rounds to make and were on duty tonight. She stayed in her chair at the large round table, nodding to each person who dropped a sheaf of paper onto her always growing stack. She watched her counselors mingle briefly, talking quietly to each other and to the present staff as they started their departures. She bit back a snort, watching Eric carry on three conversations at once before turning her eyes to the one young man she needed to speak with. "Jake." She beckoned quietly, inclining her head toward the door as she pushed herself out of her chair, twisting her body for a moment to relax tense muscles. She tapped her wand to the pile of papers, vanishing them to her office before heading out of the room.   
  
Jake sighed, following the woman with his eyes for a moment before turning back to the man he had been speaking with. "Do you know what she wants?" He questioned softly, grimacing when the older man merely raised an eyebrow at him. He knew quite well that a request to speak privately was not usually a good thing. But it wasn't always bad either.   
  
"Contrary to popular belief, I do not know everything inside Alexis' head. Nor would I wish to." Severus drawled, shaking his head in amusement. He could guess what the Headmistress wanted with the young man, but why tell? It was easier to let him wonder.   
  
Jake rolled his eyes at the non-answer before turning to leave the older man. The warm hand on his shoulder stopped him for a moment.   
  
"It will be alright. Just relax." Severus murmured softly, forcing down a sigh. The young man was too tense, he just couldn't let him believe he was in any serious trouble, no matter how much he wanted to. He squeezed the younger man's shoulder briefly before letting go with a nod. The barely there smile was enough to tell him that it had been a needed action.   
  
Alexis leaned against a wall in the hallway, scanning a piece of parchment with an arched brow. There was never a moment when she didn't have some bit of paper in front of her. So much to do and so little time. She sighed softly, pulling a pen from one of her pockets and scribbling a reply on the paper before tapping it with her wand. It vanished and she turned tired eyes to focus on the young man who was watching her. "Took your time." She teased quietly, sensing the tension rolling off of him. She would have thought Severus or Eric would have said something to help the man relax; to be fair, they might have. Jake had been tense all day and she was pretty sure she knew why.   
  
Jake shrugged, smirking at the older woman for a brief second. He always had trouble with their interactions, because she wasn't that much older than him. Not even a year, really. And she nearly always treated him like an equal, so it was hard to turn that off, even if he knew that he might be in actual trouble. "Not like you weren't working." He teased back, relaxing slightly.   
  
"When am I ever not working?" She grimaced for a moment, pushing herself off the wall. "Walk with me." She requested, turning and starting slowly down the hallway. She didn't glance back, feeling him step into stride beside her. She turned down a side corridor and down a back staircase, finally glancing over at him. The confusion was evident on his face. "Relax. Do you want to tell me what's up with you today?" She inquired calmly, keeping the steady pace. There were perks to being Headmistress; she knew the location of every room, door, and corridor in the school.  
  
Jake grimaced, shaking his head. He had no idea where they were going, or why. She didn't seem upset but her question was unexpected. He hadn't thought she would notice that he was a bit off today. But then that was because he wasn't so sure of his own actions. Besides, didn't she have better things to do than observe his behaviour?  
  
"You know, I can't help you if you don't trust me." She stopped beside a half-hidden door, pressing her palm to the middle of it for a moment before opening it and stepping out into the night air.   
  
He glanced around the courtyard, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't know this was here." He murmured, looking at her for a moment.   
  
"Nor should you. This is the solace garden. It supposedly had a calming effect on those who come across it because of need. I lifted that enchantment for the moment." She replied casually. This was where she came to think, when she needed a bit of space. This little courtyard garden, designed specifically as a place of solitude and comfort. And sometimes, that was exactly what she needed. It was also the perfect place for this conversation.  
  
Jake glanced at her, scoffing his foot into the dirt. "I do trust you, Alexis. I just didn't think you needed anything else on your plate at the moment." He shrugged, meeting her eyes. It was true, actually. He didn't think she needed anything else to worry about. She had way too much to do. He knew how well he handled the stress of his work and he knew that her workload was a lot heavier. She wasn't much older than him; people their age weren't often responsible for the well-being of several hundred children. Hell, he had enough trouble with his fourteen boys _and_ he had help, even if Henry wasn't that much of a help. The boys didn't respect the older man, so they wouldn't talk to him. He dealt with fourteen teenagers, two younger men, and helped with eleven boys. Not even counting his 'E' group. And there were times he was overwhelmed. So he knew that she had to be.   
  
She snorted, shaking her head. As true as that was, it didn't mean she didn't need to know. She was responsible for this school, and that included the staff and counselors. "That's an excuse, Jake. You were afraid of what I would say." She responded briskly, arching a brow at him. Which was surprising to her, at least, because he knew how she handled discipline among the staff. "You should have told me."  
He gave a slight nod, turning to gaze at the flowers surrounding them. "I wanted to discuss it with them. Charlie's like my little brother and Phil...well, Phil needs support from as many people as possible. " He bit back a sigh, glancing at her briefly. There was humour in those gray eyes; she wasn't angry then, at least not too angry.  
  
"You lied to me, if only by omission. They turned their wands on you. You didn't think I should know that? That perhaps it was important? _You_ are important Jake, especially to me. I need to know these things if I am to run a healthy, balanced school. I cannot have my counselors keeping things from me, especially when school starts back. Because then I will rely on you more. I have over six hundred students confirmed and that list grows daily. I cannot keep that many children healthy and safe alone. I will rely on my staff as my eyes and ears, I need to know that they will always be honest with me. Do you understand that?" She drawled quietly, watching him intently. They had offered him, as well as a few of the other counselors, positions for the fall, if they chose to accept them. Jake had. She needed to know that she could trust him, that he wouldn't hide things from her for his own agenda. There had been too many secrets during Dumbledore's reign: no more. She would not run a school built on lies and half-truths.   
  
He hesitated for a moment, gaze firmly on the ground. "I understand, Alexis. I am sorry. I just...needed to handle it." Jake chewed on his lip for a moment, shifting restlessly. He understood exactly what she meant. She needed to be able to trust him and she couldn't, if he kept something as simple as this from her.   
  
"Do you know, I would have let you handle it if you had told me. Because I do trust you, Jake. I know you would never harm any of the children under your care nor your colleagues. I can even guess why you used stinging spells on Phil more than Charlie. Charlie recognizes his mistakes, Phil pushes the blame on others. He antagonizes those around him and he has a terrible attitude when he wants to. He pushed you and you reacted. But you didn't react in anger and you kept control of the situation." She replied softly, shaking her head. She would have let him handle it because she did trust his judgement. She wasn't even angry at him; disappointed perhaps, but not angry.   
  
He blushed, scoffing his foot for a brief moment before finally looking up to meet warm gray eyes. "How did you know?"   
  
She sighed softly, brushing a piece of hair out of her face."You've been acting off all day. You wouldn't meet my eyes this morning, which told me you were unsure of something that you had done. Phil's squirming and Charlie's blush were enough to tell me what probably happened. From there, I extrapolated. There are very few reasons you would take your peers to task and I assumed it had something to do with the injuries you tried to hide from me yesterday. You are in charge of them, we all know it Jake, and you are finally stepping into that role. But you are unsure of yourself, of how you handled it, perhaps even of how I would react. I would have done the same with them, probably worse actually. You handled it as you should have, you do not have to be unsure of yourself. I want you as one of my Head Counselors and I want you to be comfortable to come to me when you start doubting yourself. So next time, do so. Alright?" Alexis explained sternly, raising an eyebrow at him.   
  
He took a breath, seeing no deceit in those oddly comforting eyes. "Yes ma'am." He understood what she meant. He wasn't in trouble. She wanted him to do this job, to take charge of the other counselors. But not alone. She wanted him to realize that she didn't doubt him, so why should he doubt himself? He shouldn't. He knew that now. And he knew that she actually needed the help. There was no way she could run this school alone, even with the help of Severus and the others on her inner council. She needed their eyes and ears where they could watch for problems, since they saw these students for several hours a day, every day. He saw the nightmares and the fears; the joys and the tears. He knew what his students needed before they knew they needed it and he knew the other counselors tells. He knew when they were struggling or when they needed a break. Just like she knew his tells aand Severus knew her tells.   
  
Alexis bit back a groan, practically hearing the wheels turning in his mind. _Ma'am?_ She was no ma'am! She was barely older than him! But she also knew where his mind was. He had just realized the truth of it, that she needed his help as much as he needed hers. He saw things she couldn't, if only because he could spend more times with his boys individually. She was lucky to get to spend time with her three sons daily, even if that was just tucking Teddy into bed and scolding Bain and making Elijah eat. He would notice a sudden change in behavoiur before she could, no matter how hard she tried. She also knew they both had work to finish that evening; she had several hours of it left, at least. There was always work. She did know what they both needed at that moment though.   
  
"And Jake? I ain't no ma'am." She growled when he merely laughed at her.   
"Oh yes, Headmistress. I will remember that." He teased, chuckling when she stuck her tongue out at him. "And Alexis? Thanks." He added quietly, giving her a brief smile at the dismissal nod before heading back inside. Now he just had to figure out where the hell he was in relation to the camp! 

She shook her head, watching him leave for a moment before leaning against one of the courtyard walls. She had work to do before the night was done, but a moment of quiet would help greatly. She took a brief, letting the stress leave her body before reactivating the spells on the courtyard and heading inside. There was paperwork after all. There would always be paperwork.  
-x-

  
  



	26. Conditioned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Antiel, who made me want to write more.

x-

Alexis sighed, glancing at the floo when it went off. She had been expecting the other woman nearly an hour ago, it wasn't like she didn't have other things that needed to be done. But the woman who stepped gracefully out of the floo had sent her a note at least. "Jane."

The brunette gave a tense smile, eyeing the woman on the other side of a large desk. She glanced around the office with a raised brow, shaking her head in amusement. "Alex." Jane greeted coolly, studying the shelves of books for a moment. Alexis had risen fast in the ranks of Mindhealers, so fast that she had been concerned at first, and then envious. And now the younger woman was running a school. Position and power, everything she, herself, had ever wanted. But she could also see the toll it was taking on Alexis, if the pale, gaunt woman under the glamours was any measure. She looked like she hadn't slept in days; perhaps she hadn't, to be fair. "I apologize for the delay. One of my patients was in the middle of a crisis." She added, sinking into the armchair her old colleague indicated.

"I understand, it's fine. It comes with our line of work. You had a file you wanted me to look over?" Alexis inquired steadily, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. No one called her 'Alex' anymore. Not since her apprenticing days. But then, Jane had more reason than most to dislike her.

She sighed softly, retrieving a file from the satchel she had carried. "It took a bit of pleading to get consent from the patient for this, but when I heard that Eric was looking into any cases of twelve year-old girls being assaulted at Hogwarts, I immediately thought of one of my patients." Jane held out the file, hoping she was wrong about this. Because if she wasn't, that meant this boy had been actively abusing different girls for the last three years.

Alexis flipped the file open with a frown, furrowing her brow for a moment. She glanced up from the file, rummaging around in her file drawer for a moment before groaning. "Minzi!" She called, glancing back down at the file.

Minzi popped into the room, frowning at her mistress. Miss was too stressed. She should drug Miss' tea tonight. Miss hadn't slept in too long. "Yes Miss?"

"Minzi, I need a file for a Anya Heath. She was either pulled from Hogwarts or dropped out in the last few years." She requested quietly, looking up at her elf for a moment. She bit her lip for a moment, brushing aside the look in Minzi's eyes for later. The damned meddling elf was probably planning something again. She glanced at Jane as Minzi popped back out, she knew the elf would be back in a few minutes, at the most. "What happened when you reported it?" She questioned quietly, glaring at the file for a moment. The girl's assault was detailed and parts of it matched the two current cases of assault they had found.

Jane grimaced, shaking her head. That had made her angry, actually. How the child's rape was handled by the school. "The DMLE was looking into it but she couldn't identify the boy and the Headmaster at the time had said he would do his best to make sure nothing like that ever happened again. But his Deputy said that she didn't believe the girl was raped and her parents finally just decided to pulled her from the school. They didn't want her staying in the same dormitory where she was assaulted." It had been hard getting the child to open up to her after that, after just one person said they didn't believe her. Even though there was proof!

"Dormitory? She wasn't assaulted in a broom closet?" Alexis straighten suddenly, locking eyes with the other woman.

"She was assaulted in her common room after curfew. He told her if she screamed he would hurt her more. She believed him." Jane answered, frowning slightly. "Are you thinking.."She hesitated for a moment, watching those enticing gray eyes turn a fiery silver.

"That she was his first? Yes. It would explain why his pattern changed, he was learning. In her account, she said he was a fourth year, so fourteen. Which means he would still be at Hogwarts, especially if the case was dismissed by the Deputy." She flinched when Minzi suddenly popped in beside her, taking the file the elf offered. She quickly flipped through it before scowling and flipping through it again. "There's nothing here. No mention of the assault, although there should be a report on it as well as the teacher on scene's report and the healer's report. Her grades are here, her house, and her withdrawal but nothing else. No disciplinary actions, no counseling papers, no follow ups." She growled, offering the file to the slightly older woman.

Jane took it, reading through the thin file in a couple of minutes. "I may not know all the paperwork necessary for the care of a student, but shouldn't it be thicker than this? There is barely any medical history at all and I know for a fact that the child had one, she has asthma."

Alexis didn't reply immediately, scrawling down some quick notes of a sheet of parchment before reaching back into her file drawer. She felt around for a moment before pulling out the folder of an average raising third year. Average as in that the child wasn't abused, wasn't in more trouble than usual, wasn't ill often. Just a healthy thirteen year old child. "This is the file of a healthy raising third year. She left at the end of her second year. If she had been completely healthy and not a serious trouble maker, her file should look like this." She slid it back in the drawer before removing a file she knew quite well. "This is the file of an abused raising third year with diabetes." She held up Teddy's file for a moment before putting it back into the drawer as well. "Anya's file should be somewhere between the two. It isn't anywhere near as thick as the first." She bit her lip for a moment, turning something over in her mind. The child's file said she was a Gryffindor. Which means her Head of House was also the Deputy. That would have been quite a blow to any child, to find out that your Head of House didn't believe you. "Jane...do you think that she could identify his voice?" She inquired finally, meeting brown eyes for a long moment. She hated to do that to a girl who, from Jane's notes, was doing so much better. But if it could stop this boy...it was worth a try.

She hesitated, drumming her fingers on the file she still held. She didn't want to force the child to relive it again. She was fifteen, finally seeing someone and doing much better. Anya wasn't the same broken child that had come to her three years before. She saw her twice a month now and the child was healthy. She didn't want to take that away from her. But she knew closure would help and if it caught a rapist... "I would have to discuss it with her. I know she occasionally still has nightmares about it. I am not sure she will agree to it though, Alex. Do you have a suspect?"

"We think so. If she can, let me know. Thanks for this Jane." She responded with an understanding nod. She knew quite well that the girl might not want to identify him. Especially if she made a positive ID and they had to drag those girls through a trial, the one thing she hated about the legal system. It was nearly as cruel to victims as the perpetrator was.

Jane nodded, standing slowly and setting the file back on the desk. "You can keep her file, it's a copy. Owl me if you find something." She replied briskly, turning toward the floo. She grabbed the powder but hesitated for just a moment. "And Alex?"

"Hm?"

"I've missed you." She finished, stepping into the fire with a small, genuine smile.

She grunted, running her hand over her face now that her old colleague was gone. Jane missed her. Jane missed her. She didn't quite believe that. It had been over three years since she broke up with the older woman. Right after she was attacked. She knew the other woman had moved on; she had too. Although, she did occasionally think of the brunette, but they were so not meant to be together. They were polar-opposites and even normal conversations tended to end in fights. Alexis shook her head, brushing away those thoughts and turning back to the files at hand. Oh what a mess she had to fix!

-x-

"Any pain during the last transformation?" Eric questioned, running a final scan over the younger man in front of him.

He fought the urge to roll his eyes. "No pain. I kept my mind. I even cuddled with Severus. The potion works Eric." Remus replied boredly. He had answered these same questions after every full moon for the last year and his answers had not changed. And yet the older man still insisted on these check-ups.

"I know it does but if Severus ever wants to publish his research and the altered version of wolfsbane, it has to have at least two years trial run for the Potions community to use his version instead of the weaker one. You are one of forty patients taking the potion and each one has the same set of routine questions by their healers. You have fought me on these assessments for the last twelve months, are you going to fight me for the next twelve as well?" Eric drawled quietly, raising an eyebrow at the younger man.

He grimaced, looking away from the older man for a moment. "No sir."

Eric watched him for a moment longer, turning to put his file back in the special case he kept it in, with the other research studies he was helping with. "Good. I would hate to have to remain you who the head of your pack is." He warned absently, slipping the case back into the locked cabinet where he kept the experimental potions and salves.

Remus bit back a groan, watching the older man move around the room from his spot on the examination table. He knew with Eric that it wasn't an idle threat. The dark skinned healer was getting tired of his behaviour and perhaps he had been acting like a petulant child, but he hated these exams. They made him feel...Other. Different. He was even willing to bet that the thirty-nine other men and women who went through these exams felt the same. Having to ask for the day after the full moon off, when they finally weren't sick during it and having people wonder or treat them differently, only to be poked and prodded by healers who would question them repeatedly on their otherness. He hated it. He had hated it as a child and he still hated it now, even as a thirty-four year old. He was fine with having a wolf inside of him, he had accepted it years ago, it was just times like these that he didn't like. They reminded him of how different he really was, of how much of a monster he could have been, if he had let the wolf run wild. If Eric hadn't taught him control.

"Son? What is going through that head of yours?" He inquired softly, frowning in concern at the young man. The warring emotions in those amber eyes was enough to cause concern, but the pain on his face, pain that he knew wasn't physical, was almost alarming. He hadn't seen his boy like this in several years; the last time being when he had broken up with Severus, to protect the younger and Tim had their hands full then, each trying to put back together a broken young man.  
"I hate the otherness." Remus replied quietly, shrugging slightly before slumping his shoulders and fixing his eyes on a distant wall. It was better than seeing the disappointment, or more appropriately, sadness, in Eric's eyes.

He sighed quietly, resting a gentle hand on the man's shoulder. "I am sorry, mon fils, if I make you feel other. That was never my goal. Is it the exams or?" Eric questioned, falling silent at the younger man's nod. The boy had never liked examinations, even when he was sick or the time he managed to break his arm...he hated them. He knew that had come from when he was a child and he tried to make them easier on the younger man, but there was only so many ways to do that. He also knew that there was more to it than that and he knew how to nip that in the bud. "You are not a monster. You are different, yes, but you are also kind and caring, and so full of love. You've accepted two children as your own easily; you've formed bonds with them, one of magic and one of pack. You've accepted the responsibilities of being a Head of this family, even if you aren't fully one yet. You are not other. You are Remus John Lupin-Rainwater, a good son and soon to be both a wonderful husband and loving father." He added briskly, catching amber eyes with warm brown.

Remus met his eyes for several long moments in silence, before snorting. He knew the man was right and he also knew he wouldn't let him wallow in depression or negative thinking. "Gods, my children's names! Will they be Snape-Lupin-Rainwater? Or just Snape-Lupin?"

Eric chuckled, shaking his head. His son would change the topic and do so with humour, "Probably Snape-Lupin-Flitwick-Rainwater." He shrugged, smirking when the other man gaped at him. "You will catch flies son." He added quietly, chuckling when he merely stuck his tongue out.

"And dad? Thanks." Remus remarked after a comfortable stretch of silence.

"Thank me after you get your wedding gift." Eric teased, smirking when the boy groaned. His son knew him too well sometimes.

"Just remember that children ruin leather dad." Remus retorted, rolling his eyes and slipping off the table.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Don't forget Sunday tea!" Eric called after the young man, staring at the door for several moments after his boy had left. It was one of the best decisions he ever made, adopting that boy. A bond from family made was sometimes even stronger than that of family born. A slight smile dancing in his eyes, he moved back to his desk, back to work.

-x-

Harry scowled, glaring up at the older boy. "I'm not a baby!" He snapped, stomping his foot for emphasis. He hated it when they treated him like a little kid! He wasn't a little kid. He would be thirteen in a week and a half. He was a man! Didn't they know that?

"I never said you were a baby, Harry. I just asked if your counselors knew where you were. They might be worried about you." He shrugged, raising an eyebrow at the much smaller boy. Isaac was crouched so that he wouldn't tower over the boy, not that it helped much. Merlin, these children were little! His brother Damian, a first year, was bigger than this boy. And he wouldn't have wanted Damian wandering around alone. Especially out here, in one of the far gardens where no one else happened to be. How this child had found his own little piece of quiet, he didn't know. He didn't really mind either, but if someone was looking for the boy, it would take them forever to find him out here. Which might have been the child's point. But he couldn't hide out here forever. Neither of them could.

Why would they worry about him? He was quite capable of taking care of himself and it wasn't like he was out here alone, not that he had known the older boy would be there, but still. "They won't be worried." Harry retorted, scoffing his foot into the dirt for a moment. He would much rather stay out here than have to deal with talking to his counselor. Tim was so annoying sometimes, all he ever did was ask him questions and press him to tell him what he was thinking about, but he wasn't ever thinking about anything important! He hated those sessions.

Isaac sighed, shaking his head. "I bet they will be. What did you do, sneak out of an activity and run off to here? Avoiding a session?" The dark-skinned boy questioned, frowning when the child merely looked up at him for a moment. Perhaps he should be honest with the child and the boy would be honest back. "I am. Avoiding a session, that is." He added casually, moving to sit on one of the stone benches. He couldn't remain crouched forever, after all.

Harry hesitated for a moment before moving slowly and finally perching carefully on the far end of the stone bench, drawing his feet up on it and turning so that he was able to watch the bigger boy. Isaac had moved so that he was also facing him, straddling the bench, and that made him relax a little bit. Isaac wasn't intimidating to him and they were in the same group sessions, so he felt comfortable sitting here with the teen, or as comfortable as he could be. He didn't know the dark-eyed boy as well as he knew the rest of his group, but Isaac and his brother had just joined the camp a few days ago. It would take time for them to adjust to each other. "I'm skipping too. I don't like it, the talking." Harry shrugged finally, tugging on the hem of his shirt.

He snorted, nodding in agreement. He didn't like talking about it either; he didn't want to have to relive some of those memories, even if it would make it easier to deal with in the future. It wasn't easier now. It was hard and painful. In the four days that he had been at the camp, his group leaders and his mind healer had all tried to get him to talk. But he wouldn't. He couldn't. He frowned, grabbing the boy's hand on instinct when he started pulling threads out of the hem of his shirt. Isaac grimaced when the child flinched, but didn't release the messy haired boy's wrist immediately. "Don't do that, Harry. You'll unravel the stitching." He remarked quietly, biting back a sigh at the blank stare. "You'll make the shirt come apart." He added, releasing the child's hand when realization came into the boy's eyes.

He would ruin the shirt? The shirt Severus and Remus had bought for him? He was bad. He didn't deserve nice things, he knew that. And then to attempt to ruin something nice! Harry smacked his head hard. He flinched when a pair of hands grabbed both of his wrists, fighting to pull away from them. He had been bad? Right? "Bad." He whispered, struggling to get his hands loose from the older boy. Why didn't Isaac understand?

"No." Isaac growled softly, hesitating for a moment before pulling the younger boy onto his lap and wrapping an arm around his torso while his other hand still trapped the boy's wrists. "You are not bad. We have been beaten enough. We do not hit ourselves."

Harry struggled for a moment longer before stilling and slowly relaxing into the older boy's hold. The teen loosen his tight grip but made no move to let him go and he was alright with that. He knew Isaac wouldn't hurt him and he knew, in that moment, that this was the feeling Teddy had tried to explain to him, of when Bain had held him; had stopped him from harming himself further. "Sorry." He murmured, leaning his head back against the older boy's chest.

Isaac released the boy's hands, loosely encircling the child with his arms. "Don't be. It's not your fault that the bastards conditioned you." He responded, moving slightly so that the boy would be more comfortable on his lap, so that neither of them had to move unless they wanted to. He often held his brother like this and it felt natural to him, even if Harry wasn't his blood. He was a child; a hurt, angry child who was hiding. A child that resembled himself so much that all he wanted was to protect the boy, to ease his hurt. Isaac had a feeling he would have this reaction to many of the younger children; it made sense to him why Bain was determined to help with the kids. Although, it did surprise him that Bain was the only other raising Seventh year, even if he wouldn't be seventeen until the middle of August. "Oh, and Harry? Do me a favour and don't repeat that word." He added, grinning when the child merely smirked up at him.

"Yes Isaac." He teased, stretching his legs out against the older boy's. "What were you doing out here, anyway?" Harry questioned finally, tilting his head back again so that he could see his face.

"Well I was planning to read." Isaac shrugged, summoning the book from his bag. "Would you might if I read it to you?" He inquired, raising an eyebrow at the boy.

"Is it scary?" Harry questioned, frowning at the book cover. It looked like a book from the library of his primary school. The pictures didn't move, so he knew it wasn't magical.

"Not too scary. It does have a dragon in it." Isaac smirked when the boy nodded enthusiastically. He flipped the book open to the first page, holding it with one hand while keeping an arm around the preteen. "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.."He read, smiling down at the boy. This was one of his favourite books, after all.

-x-

"Now they rode away amid songs of farewell and good speed, with their hearts ready for more adventure, and with a knowledge of the road they must follow over the Misty Mountains to the land beyond." Isaac finished, closing the book and glancing at the man who had been standing at the edge of the courtyard for a few minutes now, waiting on him to finish.

"Ah, come on Isaac! One more chapter?" Harry pleaded, still sprawled across the older boy's lap, head resting on the teen's shoulder.

His heart pinged, the preteen sounded so much like his little brother. "I will read some more this evening. But I think we were missed." Isaac replied quietly, nudging the child and nodding toward the older man.

"Boys." Jake greeted cheerfully, finally moving across the courtyard. He had wanted to let Isaac finish reading, as long as the boy didn't stall by starting another chapter. He did know that book after all, it had been a favourite as a child. But the boys had been gone long enough. He had been looking for Isaac for nearly three hours; his point-me spell had not worked the first several times he tried because the boys had been too far away. They were nearly an hour away from the castle, in the most out of the way courtyard he had seen yet. Actually, they were probably extremely close to the edge of the wards; he wasn't quite sure but he could guess that the wards ended not far past this courtyard. After all, on the other side of those walls was the slope of a mountain. They weren't near the gate or the forest; no, the boys had to go in the opposite direction, far from where anyone else might be. Far from help if they needed it.

Harry gulped, glancing up at the older man. They were in trouble. Weren't they? But Jake didn't look angry. Hopefully Charlie wouldn't be angry either. Or Severus and Remus. He knew he wasn't suppose to take off like that but he hadn't been gone for too long. Even if it had taken him a while to get to the courtyard. They were safe here, though, so perhaps they wouldn't be in any trouble.

Isaac moved slowly, shifting the younger boy so that he was sitting on the bench before trying to maneuver back to his feet. He groaned, biting his lip in pain as long asleep limbs fought to bear his weight. A hand caught his arm, steadying him until he was able to shake feeling back into his legs. "Thanks." He grunted, glancing at the man. He was taller than Jake and yet the man still made him feel like a child. Not even in a bad way. But in the few days he had known the older man, he had learned that feeling of being taken care of, something he wasn't used to. But the other boys told him he would adjust to it eventually. He just wasn't sure when. Or if he would ever adjust to that look in the man's eyes, the one that said he was displeased with him but that still held so much concern. It was just...odd.

Jake nodded, reaching out a hand to help the preteen up. He watched unsure green eyes flick between him and the teenager before a small hand snaked into his and he pulled the child back to his feet. "We are not walking back. It is too far and it grows later by the minute. " He remarked quietly, slipping a band off his wrist. He enlarged it but kept hold of it for a moment. There was a slight flaw in this plan. Harry barely weighed enough to take a normal portkey, let alone a special portkey. Unlike the ones they used to transport children to the hospital wing from bad situations and the ones they used to transport the children to go shopping, this one would travel within the Castle. Which meant it wasn't entering or leaving the wards, but moving from one magic-dense area to another and the Castle's magic would put a slight damper on the portkey, making it a heavier pull on the individuals. Which meant that it would be harder on Harry to hold on to. He hesitated for a moment before crouching in front of the child. "Harry, would it be alright if I picked you up for this trip? It would make it easier on us and the portkey." He inquired calmly. Hopefully the child had come to trust him enough to agree but he wasn't too sure.

Harry hesitated, glancing between the two older men and shuffling his feet for a moment. He didn't need to be carried! He could portkey on his own. Well, the only time he had portkeyed without being carried had been terrible. It had made him feel sick and he had trouble keeping hold of the portkey then. He trusted Jake, he knew the man wouldn't hurt him nor lie to him. Jake had, after all, offered to listen to any member of the group who needed someone to talk to or just didn't want to share in group and the man often led discussions, especially the difficult ones. It was easy to trust Jake, just as easy as it had been to trust Charlie, which scared him a bit, actually. He was so used to not trusting adults and suddenly there were so many that he felt like he could trust, so many that made him feel safe. And it was just odd. "Okay." He shrugged finally, fighting back the urge to flinch when the older man scooped him up and swung him onto his hip. He was twelve, not five! He shouldn't find it so comforting to be held like this.

Jake offered the band to the teenager, shifting the child more securely onto his hip. The boy was way too light but then he knew that many of the students were severely underweight. If only he could make those so called families realize the damage they have done to these children...but Alexis had practically banned all of them from confronting any of the abusers. Apparently she didn't want to have to get any of them out of jail. He waited until the teenager had a tight grip on the band before taking a deep breath and muttering the activation phrase. "Direktorat." Only Alexis would set the phrases in German.

-x-

Alexis glanced up at the sudden appearance of three people in her office, raising an eyebrow for a moment before setting aside the papers she had been working on. She had set the designations on the counselor's portkeys to the infirmary and to her office. Which mean no one was hurt, if they were here, at least. "You found them." She remarked dryly, running her eyes over both boys. Neither appeared anything other than a bit disgruntled. But she would have been too. Inter-school portkeys were not the easiest to travel by.

Jake merely nodded, setting Harry back onto his own feet. "In the farthest courtyard away from the school. I am curious as to why they were both out there, however." He replied, arching a brow at the older of the two boys.

Isaac shrugged, locking his eyes onto the floor. It didn't matter, really. They would make their own snap judgments about it whether or not he told them anything. Besides, what was there to tell them really? Both of them had hid out in that courtyard to avoid talking; why would they start now?

"Harry, we've had discussions about this before. We do not take off to the ends of the earth to escape talking. You have a safe room, I wish you would use it more often. Remus and Severus were worried about you, as were your counselors. " Alexis remarked calmly, watching the younger of the two for a long moment. She knew why he, at least, had disappeared. Harry and Karrie seemed to have taken it in turns to escape their therapy sessions or if one of them was feeling a bit overwhelmed. And occasionally, they would actually run to the safety of their safe spaces but it was still a difficult journey and gaining their trust was not easy.

Harry grimaced, scoffing his foot against the wood floors for a moment. He hated worrying Severus and Remus, not that he understood why they would be worried. He wasn't important, was he? Not important enough to worry about anyway. But the adults seemed to believe differently and it just didn't make sense. No one had cared before. Or at least, he had thought no one had cared. But maybe he was wrong. Maybe they really did care. He just didn't know why they would. "Sorry."He murmured finally, focusing on the grains in the wood.

Alexis bit back a sigh, observing the child before suddenly turning toward the wall behind her and raising an eyebrow. What the hell were her children doing to make her alarms go off? She closed her eyes for a brief moment, focusing on the magic around her before growling softly. She glanced at the door to her quarters, waving a hand at it when a rapid knock came. The door swung up and Elijah stumbled, a billow of dark smoke spilling into the room.

"Alexis! Wasn't my fault!" Elijah stumbled again, trying to regain his balance when a warm hand steadied him. He looked up and blushed furiously. Of course there were people in her office and one of them just happened to be Jake. "Thanks." He mumbled, looking away from the older man toward his guardian. She didn't look happy.

"Excuse me for a moment, gentlemen." She stood calmly, banishing the smoke with a wave of her hand. She stalked into her quarters, raising an eyebrow at the mess that used to be a kitchen table. "What part of 'do not burn down the school' did you miss?" She drawled dryly, turning hard eyes on the oldest of her children.

"Erm...sorry?" Bain grimaced, meeting her eyes for just a moment. "I didn't think it would be that volatile." He added quietly, biting the inside of his cheek. It was just a chemistry set, non-magical but similar to brewing potions. And perhaps he tried to use it like a potions kit. Because he needed to brew, he needed to get rid of the thoughts in his head, even if they were trying to get him to talk about it, and he was still grounded. Still restricted from brewing without Severus present. He wasn't some child who always needed to be watched! Except...he had destroyed half of her kitchen and ignored Minzi's warnings.

She sighed, taking a deep breath and vanishing the mess. "Minzi?" She called, smirking when the elf materialized immediately. "Clearly my sons take after me. Could you do what you do best please?" She requested, knowing quite well that the elf would probably fuss at her later, for something or another. The elf was always fussing. But she was also amazing at what she did and that was taking care of people and fixing disasters. Something she needed, even if she would deny it.

"Yes Miss. I find new table and young masters be needing hugs." Minzi nodded firmly, eyeing the boy for a long moment. He was hurting and there was so little she could do. But she could make tea and biscuits; biscuits would help. She snapped her fingers, vanishing to go find new furnishings and to make two tea trays.

"Bless that elf." Alexis muttered, turning her own eyes to her eldest son. "I'm not angry, Bain. Accidents happen and I know you are tired of being stuck in here. I just ask that the two of you try not to destroy the Castle nor each other. Alright?" She added quietly, resting a gentle hand on the red-head's shoulder.

"Alright. Sorry mum." Bain murmured, blushing slightly. Other people would have been angry at him but not her. No, Alexis was so rarely angry at them. Upset, concerned, worried...but not angry.

"It alright. Just behave. I need to handle this but if you need anything, either of you, just knock. And please, enough with the explosives for one day." She replied, wrapping her arms around the older boy for a moment, biting back a grin. She loved it when he called her mum. It made her feel all warm inside. She turned to the younger of the two, ruffling his hair for a moment. "Be good." She murmured in his ear, hugging him before returning to her office and shutting the door behind her.  
She raised an eyebrow at Jake, frowning slightly. Harry was gone.

"Remus came and got him. Apparently the other two children had been worrying about him as well." Jake shrugged, answering the silent question. He figured since they were Harry's guardians it would be alright.

She merely nodded, turning gray eyes to the teenage boy who, even sitting down, looked so closed off. His arms were folded acrossed his chest and his face was a mask, everything about him shouted stay away. " I know why Harry took off but I don't know what caused you to do so. I understand that you don't want to talk about it, Isaac. But I also know that we will get no where by sitting here and staring at each other." She remarked casually, biting back a sigh when the child merely shrugged. She knew the boy wasn't aware that several people had come to her, in the last few days, with concerns for him. He had been there for less than a week and yet, several of the counselors were concerned for him. And not just his own counselors, although she knew that Jake was worried.

"Isaac, we cannot help you if you refuse to work with us." Jake stated quietly, watching the teenaged boy. The teenager refused to speak with any of them, about anything. He couldn't even get the boy to engage in a conversation about something that had clearly interested him. The boy only ever said three sentences: 'yes sir', 'no sir', and 'thanks'. It was frustrating and concerning. He knew the teen spoke with the other boys, but never around adults. Just what was this child afraid of?  
Isaac shrugged again, eyes focused on the edge of the desk. They couldn't force him to talk. It wasn't like he had anything to say, after all. He really just wished they would leave him alone.

Alexis leaned back in her chair and arched a brow in question to Jake. The slightly younger man hesitated for a moment before nodding and shifting in his own chair. Although they could out-wait the teen, she knew that wasn't the best way to go about this. Her job was to help these children, not break them. No, the best way to do this would be with honesty and openness. He couldn't trust them if they didn't show him trust. "I ran away when I was thirteen to keep my stepfather from killing me. Didn't stop him from trying." She remarked quietly, running her wand over her forearm, cancelling the concealment charm that hid the scars. Wide, shocked dark eyes jumped up to meet hers for a moment before dropping to her right arm.

He hesitated for a moment before tracing his own wand over his left wrist. "My father chained me to a fence and whipped me to force the magic out." Jake added, turning his wrist so that the scars from the chains showed clearly. It wasn't something he shared easily but he knew that this child would understand. This child would know exactly what he had gone through. He had seen some of Isaac's scars, of course, but he had also read the boy's medical report. How no one had caught on, after six years, was shocking.

Isaac blinked, staring openly between the two adults. He had scars like those, although his were hidden by armbands not spells. He just couldn't imagine anyone trying to kill the Headmistress. That woman was kind to all of them, even when she wasn't happy. She had promised him that he would never go back to his stepfather and that Damien would not be taken away from him. She had promised to protect him, even though she didn't even know him. He had avoided her class, in fear of detection. And Jake...the older man was just as good to them, even when the other boys tested him. He had watched some of the boys test Jake and the older man didn't even blink, didn't even raise his voice. He just dealt with them fairly, more fairly than any of them ever had before. The others told him that he could trust the adults here and while he knew some had asked him questions over the years, he wasn't in their house. So why should they care? His own head of house had never noticed and that had been fine with him. Even if the bitch was now gone. But why would these adults share something so personal with him? Others would try and break him, or get angry at him, or just let him go. But not them. Perhaps he could meet them half way, or at least he could try. "Were you conditioned?" He asked finally, eyes darting between them.

"Yes." They answered as one, both leaning forward slightly.

He snorted, letting a brief smirk appear before hiding it behind his mask once more. That had been amusing though, the twin answers. That was, until their answer sunk in. Both adults had been conditioned. Like Harry, like himself. Neither seemed surprised by his question, although the Headmistress' eyes showed a brief glint of sadness. He wasn't sure if it was because she didn't like thinking about it, he knew he didn't, or if it was something else. He knew that a lot of the children there had been conditioned, it was not unusual to see there. But few were extensively conditioned, few were taught to harm themselves for 'bad' thoughts or conditioned to never ask questions, never speak, never fight back. He just never expected to see it in the adults. Well-adjusted, caring adults that were once just like him. How was that possible? How did they survive? "Me too." Isaac hesitated for a moment, dropping his eyes down to his own wrists and then to his leg. "My stepfather bond my wrists to a hook and then broke my leg with a crow bar." He added quietly, stoically. He waited, glancing up to watch them. But there was no pity in their eyes, no disgust, no fear. Just understanding and a hint of sadness.

"He was wrong, Isaac. No one deserves to be treated like that. No child should be conditioned to fear. But conditioning can be broken. It is easier to fix the damage of negative conditioning on children, as you are still malleable. Teenage minds are still changing, still growing; reconditioning is always difficult at first, but it doesn't take as long with those your age. Adults, especially those older than Jake and I, are much harder to recondition. Most of them are already so set in their ways that they don't even want to try to change." Alexis remarked finally, after several moments of an almost comfortable silence.

"Work with us Isaac, let us help you. You do not have to do this alone. " Jake added softly, meeting those dark eyes. He watched the emotions flit across the boy's face for a moment. The child's mask was down, which was remarkable in itself.

He bit his lip, bouncing his leg for a moment. He wasn't sure if they could help him but he was willing to try. He had been fighting the conditioning, having Damien around helped, and he wasn't sure he could fight against it much longer. Not alone. Perhaps he didn't have to do it alone, isn't that what Bain had told him yesterday? That he wasn't alone now, that the other boys would support him and that the adults would help him, if he would just let them in. Isaac took a deep breath, meeting gray and brown eyes with the tiniest bit of trust. "Okay." He responded slowly, giving off a small smile when the two healers smiled at him. He didn't know agreeing would make them that happy. Huh. "Could you teach me that spell?" He added suddenly, eyes brightening.

Alexis chuckled, withdrawing her wand slowly with a smirk. Of course they could teach it to him. His trust was fragile but it was there and that was all that mattered at the moment. They would work on the rest. The child just needed time, they all did.  
-x-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story Isaac reads is the Hobbit, pages 1 and 54.


	27. Just A Normal Day

Eric shook his head, a soft smile on his lips as he watched the young woman sleep on for a moment longer. She never would go to bed when she was tired as a teenager, he shouldn't had believed she would do so now. Instead, Alexis was sound asleep, her head resting on her arms, a piece of parchment stuck to her cheek. He could guess what had happened. She had probably come back to her office after making sure the boys were alright and had worked until exhaustion took over. Or a sleeping draught, if the smell from the half-finished tea was anything to go by. Bless that elf. He hesitated for a moment before fishing a camera out of the depths of his robes. A quick snap later and he shoved it back to where it had came, moving silently toward the messy desk and the sleeping Headmistress. Eric moved her off the desk gently, lifting her easily up into his arms. She was too light but it did help in this situation, it would make it much easier to get her to bed. He walked steadily toward the door to her quarters, which swung open for him and closed behind them, and then toward her room. He raised an eyebrow at the teenager in the kitchen, hesitating before shrugging and pushing open the door to her room. He would talk to the boy on his way out, if only to make sure everything was okay. Eric bit back a chuckle, smirking at the elf who moved the covers aside for him. "Thank you, Minzi." He whispered. The elf merely nodded, smirking back, before silently disappearing. He slowly laid the younger woman on the bed, waving his wand at her clothing to change it to something more comfortable. He tucked the blankets securely around her, pressing a light kiss to her forehead before leaving her to her sleep.  
  
Elijah rummaged through the cold box, searching for the chocolate that he knew was in there, somewhere. There had to be chocolate there, unless Bain had eaten it, which he wouldn't put past the older boy. Bain ate everything in sight. He sometimes wished that he could do that. But he couldn't. His body was not growing like Bain's, he was not getting taller and he refused to get rounder. If he did, Robert wouldn't like him. Would he?  
  
"A little late for a snack isn't it, Elijah?" Eric questioned quietly, leaning against a wall and watching the child. The boy should have been in bed, although he did understand teenagers and hunger. Particularly those teenagers who refused to eat normal-sized meals which caused their stomachs to wake them up in the middle of the night. Of course, nightmares could also be at play here. Either way, it was two in the morning. The child should be sleeping.  
  
He startled, turning to glance at the older man. What was Eric doing here? Shouldn't the older man be asleep? "No sir." He responded with a shrug, pulling the chocolate cookies that he had finally found out of the cold box. It was never too late for chocolate.  
  
"I see. If you are hungry, I could make you something. But it is a bit late for that much sugar, Elijah. It is past time for you to be asleep." Eric replied, raising a brow at the boy. He would make him something to eat, if the child wanted something besides junk, but it was also late and the teen was growing. His body and magic needed sleep, otherwise he would be crashing tomorrow afternoon.  
  
"You're not asleep." He retorted.  
  
"I'm on duty. You, however, do not have that excuse. " Eric stated casually, moving to put on a kettle for tea. Perhaps if he made the child a cup of one of Severus' special blends, he might relax enough to go back to sleep. For the moment he mentioned sleep, the boy had tensed. He would bet that it was nightmares giving the teen up this night; perhaps the same ones that caused the rings under the boy's eyes.  
  
Elijah rolled his eyes, dropping into a chair at the table. He wasn't going back to bed. He wasn't tired. Not really. But he was actually hungry. He opened the container of cookies, reaching for one when the box was summoned out of his hands. "Hey!" He protested, glaring at the man who didn't even bother to look at him, rummaging around in one of the cabinets.  
  
"Again, it is too late for sweets." Eric set a plate of rolls and cream cheese in front of the youth, fighting back a snort when the child tore into one. He turned back to the stove, moving to fix two cups of tea. "If you eat all of that and are still hungry, I will make you something to eat." He added quietly, knowing that the chances of the boy eating that much food was slim. He finally moved back to the table, setting a cup in front of the teenager who eyed it suspiciously.  
  
Elijah sniffed the tea before taking a careful sip. It was hot but good and it tasted just like the tea that Alexis made for them at night; it probably was the same tea, actually. It had come from their cabinets after all. "Why are you on duty so late?" He questioned between bites of his second roll. The bread was quickly satisfying his intense hunger. Perhaps his hunger was because he had skipped two meals that day, but he really didn't care.  
  
Eric took a sip of his own tea, studying the youth for a moment. "It comes with the job, really. With healers, someone always has to be on call, or on duty, every minute of the day. Healers typically work twelve to eighteen hour shifts with the ability to take short naps during longer shifts. Since this is a school, naps really aren't an option. It is trickier to work with children than adults." He answered after a moment, giving a slight shrug. He didn't mind the late shift, he almost preferred it actually. Although, as Head Healer, he would rarely work it during the school year and instead just be on call for anything that his healers could not handle. Once he replaced the healer he had recently fired, of course. Until then, he would gladly work this shift.  
  
"Robert wants to be a healer. Or a veterinarian. " Elijah commented, tearing a third roll in half. He, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with either of those careers. Too much blood and death in one and too much sadness in the other.  
  
He raised an eyebrow, shaking his head. People or animals...that was two very different career paths, two different fields of study. "What about you, Elijah? What do you want to study?" He questioned, biting back a groan when the teenager smirked. He hoped to the gods that this was not another teenager who wanted to be a 'dragon wrangler', 'pirate', or 'magic carpet operator'; dragon wrangler wasn't even a career and pirating was still illegal. Magic carpet operator while a real job, in Saudia Arabia and India at least, was a career path for sixteen year-old dropouts.  
  
"I want to be a curse breaker. But don't tell Alexis." He grinned, knowing quite well that the woman would probably consider that job dangerous. At least he didn't want to be a dragon rider and trainer, like Teddy did. But Teddy was still a kid, hopefully he would out grow that fascination. He fought back a yawn, finishing the last of the rolls. At least he wasn't hungry anymore.  
  
Eric fought the urge to roll his eyes. Alexis would be proud if her son was a curse breaker. Hell, Alexis would probably be proud if one of her children ended up as a shop keeper; he knew he would have been. Curse breaker was a legitimate career choice, even if it was a bit on the danger side. Perhaps he could convince the child to look into other jobs that involved adventure and excitement; if not, the boy was only fifteen. His career path was bound to change at least ten more times before he was twenty. He smiled when the child yawned again. "I think it is time to sleep." He stated not unkindly. The rapidly shaking head was quite the contrast to the quick blinks to fight sleep.  
  
"Not tired." Elijah yawned, fighting to keep his eyes open. Damned tea.  
  
Eric shook his head, standing and moving to the boy's chair. "Your body is tired." He retorted softly, offering the child a hand. The boy glared at him but finally took it.  
  
"Don't wanna."  
  
He chuckled softly, placing a hand on the child's shoulder and guiding him back to his room. "I know. If it will help, I can give you a dreamless sleep potion." He offered, gently prodding him toward the bed.  
  
Elijah groaned, crawling into his bed under the watchful gaze of the older man. He finally nodded, taking the vial when it was offered. At least this would keep the monsters at bay, for tonight anyway. He snuggled down under his covers, quickly feeling the potion take effect.  
  
"Dormir mon petit." He murmured softly, gently brushing hair off of the young teenager's face before setting a charm to alert him if the child woke again. He would check on the other three occupants of this apartment before heading back to his office. There was always work he could do, after all.  
  
-x-

Alexis sighed, running over the list of things she needed to accomplish that day. All of the acceptance letters had gone out and most of the students had replied already, as well as several transfer requests. She had finally approved all of the book lists, which Severus would be sending out in the next couple of days. Eric had taken over searching for Jemma's replacement and Filius was doing the search for a handful of professors; Lucius was handling the legal part of custody battles, although she was handling the emotional fallout from it. She had gone through every student file already and was compiling them into groups based on the needs of the students. But there was still a long list of things that needed to be finished, work that no one else could do. She also needed to take Teddy shopping this weekend for Harry and Neville's birthdays. Remus had offered but she wanted to do it. Granted, taking her son to Italy to shop for a birthday present might be considered a bit extreme. Not that anyone would know that was where they were going. Besides, Teddy would enjoy it. She glanced up from the parchment she had been staring at when a knock came at her office door. She frowned at the light blue glow. A student then. She straightened up, setting the parchment aside before waving her hand at the door. "Come." She called as the door swung up. The preteen who stepped into her office did not look happy; then again, they rarely did.  
  
"It's not my fault." She stated instantly, eyes focusing intensely on the floor. She knew, of course, that the woman probably wouldn't believe her.  
  
"I see. What, exactly, wasn't your fault, Jessica?" Alexis questioned, raising an eyebrow at the rising third year and gesturing toward a chair. The child reluctantly dropped into one, fidgeting and not looking at her. Usually when they started with that statement, it tended to be something that they had done, accidental or otherwise. It was barely half past ten, what could the preteen had possible done?  
  
"I didn't know she couldn't swim." Jessica shrugged, twirling a piece of red hair around a finger. She hadn't known that the brat couldn't swim, otherwise she wouldn't have shoved her into the lake.  
  
"Okay...why don't you start from the beginning Jessica? Tell me what happened." Alexis ordered calmly, biting back a sigh. She had a bad feeling that this was going to give her a headache, again. If she remembered correctly, it was too early for that group to be swimming. Instead, they would have had free play time outside. So why was someone in the lake? And how exactly was that Jessica's fault?  
  
"She was being annoying again and I was tired of her being such a brat. So I was playing around and she fell in the lake. I didn't know she couldn't swim. Rani got her out but she wasn't happy with me since she was crying so Rani sent me to you. But it wasn't my fault. It was a joke." Jessica huffed, kicking her feet against the legs of the chair.  
  
"How did she 'fall' into the lake, Jessica?"  
  
The red-headed preteen shrugged, pulling at the hem of her shirt. "I shoved her. But it was a joke! It's not my fault she can't take a joke!" She snapped, glancing up to meet emotionless gray eyes.  
  
"You shoved her into a lake as a joke? She could have been seriously hurt, Jessica. Why would you do that?" Alexis questioned, forcing her tone to remain calm and bland. One of her students just admitted to bullying another and yet, she couldn't find fault in her own behaviour.  
  
"She's a brat. She acts like she is so much better than us. Rani and Kate are always babying her and she refused to talk to any of us." She explained, hoping that the Headmistress wouldn't take the baby's side over hers. The girl _was_ a brat and she was always getting the adults to play with her, but she never played with other kids and it was so annoying.  
  
She bit back a growl, a sinking feeling settling in her stomach. She could guess exactly who the girl had shoved into the lake and that did not make her happy. The girl in question was a child, not even really a preteen yet, but she had to be sure. "Who are you talking about?"  
  
"Lila. She always gets her way!" Jessica pouted, glancing up under lowered lashed at the woman once more. She grimaced at the flash of anger in the older woman's eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.  
  
Alexis sighed, running through an appropriate punishment in her head. "Jessica, do you like bullies?"  
  
"No ma'am."  
  
"Then why would you bully someone much younger than you? Lila _is_ a child. She won't be eleven until the end of August. I seriously doubt that a ten year old believes herself to be better than you, a rising third year. She doesn't speak but it isn't out of choice. The monsters that give you severe nightmares also cause her mind to shut down the part that allows for speech. Kate and Rani treat her like she is ten, just as they treat you like you are a young thirteen. They aren't babying her, but taking care of her appropriately. And trust me, she doesn't always get her way. " She remarked steadily, watching the girl fidget for a moment. The preteen huffed, banging her foot into the chair. "Jessica, do you understand why what you did was wrong?" She questioned finally. She wasn't quite sure that the girl did.  
  
"Yes ma'am." She shrugged, groaning at the pointed look. "I guess she could have been hurt and that it wasn't nice to shove her. I'm not a bully, really. I just...she never wants to play with us." She finished, biting her lip. It really was a silly reason, when she thought about it. She didn't want to be a bully, she didn't want to be like Derek and his friends. So maybe it was her fault, after all the Headmistress was right. Lila was just a kid.  
  
"Perhaps it's not that she doesn't want to play, but that she doesn't know how. The games you and your friends play may be completely unfamiliar to her. There are games that she plays that you could ask to join in with. I know some of them might seem childish to you, but do not forget Lila's age." Alexis suggested quietly, forcing down a smirk when understanding had shown in the child's eyes. Good, at least she realized that what she had done was wrong.  
  
Jessica hesitated, thinking it over. Lila never played any of their games and she tended to stay away from the shelves with their toys and games on them. Instead, she was always playing with the animal figures and the dolls..." She likes dolls. Maybe I can play dolls with her?" Her mom had said she was too old to play dolls but her mother wasn't here and she did miss her dolls, especially after bad dreams.  
  
"I think that is a good idea. But ask her first, Jessica. " Alexis replied, allowing the small smile to grace her lips briefly.  
  
"I will, I need to apologize to her." Jessica shrugged, biting the inside of her lip again. She would ask but she wasn't sure Lila would want her to play...or that Ariana and Karrie would let her. Both of the other girls were extremely protective of little Lila.  
  
Well, that solved one problem then. "Good. After you talk to Lila, you are grounded for two days. If I find out that you have been bullying other children, you will not like it Jessica. I also want an essay from you, on the reasoning behind your actions and what you should have done different. Alright?" Alexis stated briskly. Honestly, the punishment was lenient, but since it was the first she had heard of the child bullying others and the girl was extremely social, she knew the punishment would be taken by the preteen as horrible. Two days of being grounded to her bunk room, excepted meals, would not kill her. She did have a feeling that the girl would drive the counselor whose turn it was to watch over those grounded crazy.  
  
Jessica grimaced but it really wasn't unexpected. She hated being grounded, especially when there was no one to talk to. "Yes ma'am." She answered quietly, standing at the dismissal nod and retreating from the office as quickly as possible. She had a little girl to find, after all. And then to report to the camp's quarters. Ugh.  
  
-x-  
  
"Stop it, Harry." Karrie grumbled, pulling away from the hand that tugged her braid. She knew he wasn't doing it to be mean, that he was just playing, but it had taken forever for her to do those braids on her own and Harry's pulling was only making it looser.  
  
"Is it suppose to look like that?" Harry asked, frowning at the mess of his sister's hair. She had said she wanted to copy Rose's most recent hair style but the uneven, messy braid looked nothing like the one Rose had. Not even close. Karrie couldn't even get it to stay wrapped around her head but she refused to ask the older girl for help.  
  
She groaned, throwing a sock at her brother. "I can't get it right." She ducked the sock as it flew back at her, reaching for her pillow. They were in her room, Harry sprawled out across the foot of her bed. Neither of them had wanted to spend their free period in the camp quarters, especially since Teddy was in a session so that they couldn't even play together.  
  
Remus paused in the doorway, watching the two smack each other with pillows for a long moment before shaking his head and pulling the ever-present camera out of his robe pocket. They weren't harming each other, so he saw no reason to stop their fun and he wanted proof, for when they were fighting, that they actually enjoyed each other. He had noticed the sibling bond growing quickly between them and strongly. So strong that it mirrored bonds of fraternal twins, which meant the fights would be bad, when they came. And he knew it would happen. All siblings fought, even those who were several years apart. Having two children who were merely _days_ apart would mean that the fighting would be bad anyway. But that bond would make it worse. Really, it would be like Severus and Alexis, but as twelve year olds. He bit back a groan, tucking the camera away once more. That was a terrifying thought, Alexis and Severus as preteens. He shook his head before knocking on the door frame.  
  
Harry stopped in mid-swing, turning to look at the older man. "We're just playing." He shrugged, meeting Karrie's eyes and fighting hard to not burst into laughter. She was making faces at him, but only when Remus looked away from her. They were just playing and they liked playing together, usually.  
  
"I know, Harry. You're not in trouble." Remus replied calmly, watching both children. He hadn't wanted to interrupt their play but it was nearly lunch time and they needed to eat. He surveyed them for a moment longer, biting back a sigh at the state of Karrie's hair. At least she hadn't taken scissors to it... yet. He wasn't so sure that she would let him help her, though. Or that she wouldn't get upset if he suggested it. But he did know that she would get teased if he did nothing. "It is almost lunch time, so I need to know where you want to eat today." He added finally, raising an eyebrow at the last face Karrie had made and the snort of laughter from Harry.  
  
She hesitated, running a hand over her braid. She didn't want to eat in the Great Hall but Harry wouldn't go without her and Teddy would be lonely if they didn't go. But perhaps Teddy could come eat with them? "Where's Teddy eating?" She questioned finally, catching Harry's eye. Her brother gave a slight nod. He, at least, understood the purpose of her question. She didn't realize that Remus probably would as well.  
  
He had expected that, actually. It was a common question the trio asked lately, where was their friend and what was he or she doing; so common that their camp counselors tended to tell each other where each one of them was, so that when the child asked, they could just tell them. It made life easier. "Teddy is having lunch with Tim." He had also expected the twin looks of worry. "He is fine. I believe Teddy wanted to tell him something new he had read about dragons. " Remus answered, fighting a smirk at twin groans. Someone, he suspected Charlie, had given the boy an encyclopedia of dragons and the child was spouting facts to anyone who would listen.  
  
"Then can we eat here?" Harry questioned, trading glances with Karrie. They would have to leave the quarters eventually, but at least they could hang out here during lunch. He liked it down here and he knew Karrie did as well.  
  
"Of course. Karrie...would you like me to show you an easy way to do that braid?" Remus offered, giving the child a slight smile. He hoped she would agree to let him help. He was quite good with doing little girl's hair and any styles he didn't know, he was sure a few of the teenage girls would teach him. His daughter would not look like no one took care of her, not anymore. She wouldn't have to struggle to fix her own hair; he would teach her. If she let him.  
  
She bit her lip, touching her braid once more. She knew he wasn't mocking her hair; no, Remus was trying to help her. She would be taunted if she left her hair like this. And Ariana was terrible at hair. The older girl could do a simple ponytail or bun but that was it. If she could get this braid down, she could do Lila's hair. The little girl loved it when she did a simple braid for her. "You know braids?" She inquired finally, raising an eyebrow in a very Severus fashion.  
  
Remus bit back a chuckle at the expression, giving the girl a solemn nod. "I am quite proficient in hair." He replied seriously. Two tilted heads, a traded glance and then, finally, a smile.  
  
"I would like that." Karrie grinned, tugging on the messy braid until it came out.  
  
Remus sat on the side of the bed, taking the girl's hairbrush. He carefully undid the mess of knots and tangles before gently brushing it out and away from the child's face. The crown braid that the child had been trying for was easier to do as a french braid, not whatever mess the girl had been trying to create. Quick fingers braided black hair before wrapping it gently around her head and securing it with a summoned pin. "There you go." Remus conjured a mirror, holding it up for the child to see. It had only taken a few minutes but her hair looked much better. "French part of it first then the other part before wrapping. That will make it easier." He explained quietly, a soft smile gracing his lips when green eyes lit up and skinny arms hugged him quickly.  
  
"Thanks Remus!" Karrie grinned, running a hand over the elegant braid. It was so beautiful and it stayed in place, unlike her attempted. Perhaps she should have Remus to her hair more often.  
  
"Alright, now. Lunch." Remus ordered with a smirk, standing a beckoning for the children. He would have to get some ribbons for Karrie when they took the two of them out this weekend. Then he could braid the ribbon into her hair; she would enjoy that. Anything to see his children smile.  
  
-x-  
  
"I have an idea I wanted to put past you."  
  
"Okay, shoot." Alexis raised an eyebrow at the younger woman, leaning back slightly. She had been working when the young woman had knocked on her door, which was fine, she was here to listen to the counselors after all. But it didn't explain why Kate was fidgety and nervous. She had thought they had gotten passed this. Apparently not.  
  
She took a deep breath, tapping her fingers against her legs and trying to stand still. The headmistress had gestured for her to seat but she was a bit too anxious to sit. After all, the woman could say it was a terrible idea, that it wouldn't help. But she thought it might. "Sensory room." Kate blurted out, meeting her eyes for a brief moment before finding her hands more interesting.  
  
Well that was unexpected. And confusing. Sensory room? For who? If Kate had noticed signs of autism in a student, she should have already let them know. Autism was rare in magic-born children. Although, it did occasionally appear in those from non-magical families. And while there was no cure, nor was it something that needed curing, there were ways to make it easier on a child. "Alright...explain. Why do you think we need a sensory room?" She inquired finally, running through all the children currently at the camp. Perhaps she was missing something. Perhaps Kate's intentions weren't for autism at all, but for therapeutic purposes, which a sensory room would be good for.  
  
She hesitated for a moment before sitting on the edge of a chair. "I think it would be helpful. It might help some of the children open up and, well, it might help with Lila. I think a sensory room would be good for her. And not just her, but other children might find it relaxing and comfortable. Like Karrie and Rose. When kids feel safe, they are more likely to talk. And while the safe rooms help with that, a sensory room could help when they feel overwhelmed. The rooms are designed to help kids with sensory overload and they are designed to help children with autism feel safe and comfortable. I'm not sure if any of our kids have autism, but Lila might be somewhere on the spectrum and it could help." Kate rambled, biting her lip to make herself shut up. She rambled when she was nervous and right now she was very nervous. She had spent part her apprentice years working with children who had autism or sensory problems, she had seen quite a few selectively mute children like Lila. The sensory room had helped them, she thought it might help her. But she was afraid the headmistress would just dismiss her suggestion.  
  
Alexis fought the urge to smile, watching the slightly younger woman for a long moment. It was actually a good idea. If nothing else, they could use it for play therapy. She snapped her fingers, smirking when her elf appeared instantly. "Minzi, could you see if there is an empty room on the fourth floor? It needs to be large enough to hold climbing equipment for a sensory room." She inquired briskly, turning back to the younger woman when the elf popped away. Minzi would find the perfect room for them and then they could set it up. "Since it is your idea, you get to design it. Give me a list of what you need and I will make sure you have it. The elves and I will then help you set it up. " She added, not unkindly, meeting brown eyes.  
  
She gaped for a moment before nodding quickly. She couldn't believe that the headmistress had just accepted it so quickly. She was glad the woman agreed with her suggestion but she never thought she would be the one to design it. Great, now she would be even more anxious. "Thank you, headmistress." She replied, moving to stand.  
  
"Sit down, Kate." She ordered quietly, biting back a sigh at the confusion on the brunette's face. At least the woman obeyed, unlike certain other counselors that she knew. "We need to talk." She frowned when the woman became completely rigid. Kate didn't do still. Damn.  
  
The dreaded four words, which usually meant she was being fired or in trouble. But what had she done? Nothing immediately came to mind, but that didn't really mean anything. She had been let go from previous jobs for extremely minor things. "I'm sorry." She apologized automatically. It was habit, although perhaps not a good one.  
  
Alexis arched a brow at the woman, shaking her head. "For? You have done nothing to apologize for. You are not in trouble. I am not firing you nor would I want to. I offered you a position for the school year, remember? And you accepted. So you are not going anywhere. This is where you belong." She stated firmly. The younger woman had been projecting, though she probably didn't even realize it.  
  
"Sorr-"  
  
"Do _not_ apologize." She growled, interrupting her quickly. "You were handpicked by Tim, approved by Eric and myself, the best of the best. And yet you have no confidence in yourself. None. You do not have to fear dismissal here nor are you expected to be perfect. I don't know why I make you nervous, Kate, but I hope that with time you will find that I am nothing to be afraid of." Alexis finished quietly, sighing softly. She had no idea why the woman was so nervous around her but she wished she wouldn't be. After all, she wasn't that much older than her, if by a few years. She did know that Kate had gone through quite a lot in her life, but the woman had nothing to fear here. And she was great with the younger girls, truly one of the best.  
  
She hesitated for a moment, staring at her feet. She wasn't scared of the headmistress, exactly, and she was really only anxious around her and Eric. Eric because she had heard quite a few stories about the older man, he was practically a legend. Tim was too, but she had known Tim from the university. He had taught that one class that everyone wanted to take and she had been lucky to get into it. "I'm trying Head- Alexis. I really am." Kate answered finally, meeting gray eyes. Truthfully, she knew why she was anxious around the older woman, other than the fact that she had heard stories of her too. Alexis was one of the best touch healers in the world; the other woman was ranked fifth internationally, the youngest person in the top ten. Hell, the youngest on the entire list. And with age and experience, she would probably make the very top of the list. But no, that didn't make her anxious. It was awe-inspiring to be sure. But she liked the older woman, even though she would never tell her that. After all, she didn't need to have a relationship with her boss.  
  
Alexis tilted her head slightly, giving a brisk nod. "I know you are. Go design that room. And Kate? Don't be so harsh on yourself." She dismissed, smirking slightly at the woman. Kate merely nodded, meeting her eyes for a long moment before leaving the room. She doubted the young woman would listen to her. But that was alright. She had a month left to get everything and everyone to a semi-healthy place. It was doable. By the gods, she would do it.  
-x-


	28. Milan Adventures

They were in Italy. According to Alexis, they were in a place called Milan in Italy. But they were in Italy! He had never been outside of Britain and Scotland before, not even to France. And yet Alexis took him to Italy to shop. Teddy had been nearly overwhelmed when they first stepped out of the floo. Even now, he was really excited. There were so many sights and sounds. And he had Alexis all to him self for a few hours. The older two boys hadn't wanted to come, but she hadn't said they were going to Italy. Just that they were going shopping.  
  
Alexis smirked, keeping hold of the bouncing preteen's hand. She was actually glad she hadn't brought all three boys. Apparently Saturday was a busy shopping day in Milan's wizard centre. Not that they would just be shopping there; she needed to travel into the mundane part of Milan, if only for a few minutes. There were so many people that she was nearly afraid that she might lose Teddy. Not that Teddy would let go of her hand. "Where would you like to head first?" She questioned, glancing around at the myriad of store fronts near them. She knew there were at least three different toy stores and she had a feeling they would be visiting all three.  
  
"How about there?" Teddy shrugged, pointing toward what appeared to be a plant shop. He could get Neville something from there. Neville liked plants.  
  
She glanced at the shop, frowning slightly. "I think there might be another herbology store a few streets over. A much better herbology store." She replied slowly, biting back a sigh. It wasn't his fault that he couldn't read Italian. But even if she could, she was not taking her son into a store that literally translated to 'Poison Plants and Herbs'. "There's a toy shop, a book store, a general supply shop, and a clothing store on this street that we can go into. Would you like to visit any of them?" She inquired, knowing that a list of choices would not only be helpful, it would also keep her son from wondering into any stores where he shouldn't be going.  
  
"The toy store first, then." Teddy turned toward it, not letting go of Alexis' hand. There were way too many people here. It made him uncomfortable.  
  
Thirty minutes and two stores later, Teddy had yet to find anything he liked. Although, she had found a gift for Eric in the bookstore. Teddy had been excited until he realized all the books were in Italian. Eric would love this one, his birthday was coming up, and she could easily tell him that she owl-ordered it. After all, what he didn't know didn't hurt him. "I need to run in the supply shop for a minute and then, unless you want to look at robes, we can move on." She remarked, drawing the child back to her. She still held onto his hand while they were on the street, but that didn't mean he didn't drift off to see one cool thing or another. Currently, that was hopping toads. Which he didn't need and would not be getting, no matter how adorable his pleading face could be.  
Teddy sighed, scoffing his feet into the dirt before entering the large shop with her. He glanced around for a moment before catching sight of the writing supplies. He slipped away from Alexis, drawn to the colorful pens and inks. There were shelves and racks full of writing and drawing supplies. There was even a dragon-hide sketch book that came with charcoal sketching pencils. He picked it up, turning it over to see the price before setting it back down. While he wasn't so sure of Euros to Pounds, he did recognize the galleon symbol below the euro one. Alexis would never let him buy something so expensive, especially as a gift. Although the woman did tend to spend money on all the kids at the camp like it was nothing. She had even made sure that every single one of them had books and toys of their own. But this was different.  
  
"Find something you like?" She inquired, sighing when he startled. She had made noise approaching him, but perhaps he had been absorbed in his own thoughts. She shifted the large parcel of parchment to one arm, lifting the sketch journal off the shelf. She flipped through it, nodding to herself at the quality of the paper. That was why she loved shopping here. This store had some of the highest quality parchment and quills, even if they were a little pricey. It was worth it and this sketch journal would hold up to a lot of wear and tear. It even had room for additionally pages.  
  
"It's too expensive." Teddy bit his lip, staring down at his feet. Harry would love it, but he knew he should find something else, something cheaper.  
Alexis frowned, glancing at the price for a brief moment. The child thought that was expensive? Really? That was cheap, compared to how much it would have run at an art store. She turned toward the shop assistant who had been following her around, partly to carry some of her purchases and partly to annoy her into buying more. "Perdono, è questo diritto?” She tapped the price with a finger, raising an eyebrow at the assistant.  
  
“Si, Magnifico Rettore. C'è qualcosa che non va?” The assistant hesitated, biting her lip. This was an important customer. If she thought the price was too high, she knew she would have to change it.  
  
Alexis gave the woman a small smile as reassurance. She wasn't about to leave without her purchases. She knew that look of fear well, having seen it many times before. Her purchases were mainly for the school, with a few colour changing inks thrown in for her boys. A small present would not break her. Hell, her entire purchase wouldn't even make a slight dent in her value, thanks to Jakob. “No, è bene.” She replied calmly, turning back to her son. “It is a good price for a fine quality book that will last for a long time. For Harry?” She remarked finally, easily switching back to English.  
  
“I thought he'd like it. He likes to draw.” Teddy met her eyes for a moment, hesitating. “I could pay you back.” He suggested after a moment.  
  
She snorted, shaking her head. “You have an allowance, you know. Harry will love it, Teddy. It isn't too expensive. Get it and I will get Harry some coloured inks for his birthday.”  
  
He hesitated for a moment longer before taking the sketch book back with a nod. If she said it was okay, he would get it. Harry would like it, that much was for sure.  
  
“Noi siamo pronti.” She stated to the assistant, picking up a pack of coloured inks before heading toward the counter. If they didn't leave soon, she might just buy another set of journals. Granted, she already had a hundred notebooks on the counter for the staff and seventy journals for the camp kids, plus any other child who might need one. She loved this store but she could spend hours and thousands here if she wasn't stopped. It was time to move on.  
  
-x-  
  
It was several hours later, just after lunch in non-magical Milan, when she felt it. Someone was watching them. That, or she was paranoid. But she was willing to bet the former. She wrapped an arm around Teddy's shoulder, pulling the child closer to her body, even as she continued the journey down the street. They had already purchased all of the gifts for his friends and even a few things for his brothers. Not to mention the things she had bought for Teddy, although the child asked for nothing. They only had one last stop to make, if she could just get them into the shop. But she had to get there first and she saw someone out of the corner of her eye, following them.  
  
“Alexis?” Teddy whispered, feeling her arm tighten around him. Something was wrong. They had been having a good day but now...he could feel it. Something wasn't right.  
  
“It's alright, Teddy. Just stay close to me.” She responded softly, eyes glancing from shop window to shop window, watching their backs even as she tried to find a safe place to get her child. It wasn't much further until they would reach that shop. If necessary they could seek refuge inside another shop, just long enough for her to work the emergency portkeys, but she hoped it wasn't necessary. The man following her didn't look like a contracted mercenary but that didn't really mean anything.  
  
Teddy kept his eyes forward, slipping as close to her as he could get with her arm still around him. Something was wrong and Alexis was tense. He would have been scared, if he had been with anyone else. But he knew that his Alexis would never let anything happen to him. She would always protect him, she had promised him that and she hadn't broken a promise yet. He felt her relax slightly as they entered an odd little shop.  
  
“Maria!” Alexis called out, slipping her pendant over her head and tapping it twice with her wand. When she had programmed them for use by the staff, she had added an emergency portkey, just in case, to every one of them. Including hers.  
  
“Alexis? Didn't you get my message?” A short woman appeared from the back, frowning at the younger woman for a long moment. She had sent her an owl yesterday, telling her not to come to Milan today. It wasn't safe for the young woman, not right now.  
  
She bit her lip for a brief moment, before shrugging. She had received, and promptly ignored, the letter. She had figured that she would be quite capable of keeping Teddy safe. And she was. But now that they were being followed, it was time to leave. She was not going to have her child witness a confrontation if it could be helped. And it could. “Could you send the supplies to Eric? I want to take my child home.” She inquired quickly, raising an eyebrow when the older woman merely sighed.  
  
“Of course. Were you followed?” Maria questioned, glancing at the child before turning her eyes toward the front of the store. There was someone lingering just outside the door. The younger woman had never been good at following orders for her safety, but she had thought that the woman would for her son's sake. Apparently not. Well, if she was sending the supplies that Alexis had ordered to Eric, there was no reason she couldn't include a quick note to him. Someone needed to know the danger the younger woman routinely placed herself in.  
  
Alexis gave a brisk nod, turning to Teddy. “We're going to portkey home but it would be easier if I held you. Is that alright?” At the child's nod she picked him up, settling him on her hip. She held the pendant tightly in one hand, tightening her hold on Teddy before grasping it with the other and tapping it with her finger. “Zu Haus.” She whispered, feeling the jerk as the portkey activated, just as the man who had been following her entered the shop. She sneered at him as they vanished, reappearing in her office. She stumbled slightly, growling under her breath. She hated the landings. She hugged Teddy tight to her for a moment before setting the child down.  
  
“Alexis?”  
  
“Hm?”  
  
“Who was that?” He asked softly, watching her unshrink their purchases. The woman had seemed scared and he didn't like that. He didn't want anyone harming his Alexis.  
  
She sighed softly, setting her personal purchases apart from the school's. “Someone was being paid to follow us. You were in no danger. I wouldn't let anyone harm you, I promised you that, remember?” She reassured quietly, gently grasping the child's shoulder for a moment.  
  
“But what about you? What if they were planning to harm you?” Teddy looked up at her with large, worried brown eyes. What if they want to hurt Alexis? She needed someone to protect her, too. He had her to protect him, as did his brothers and practically every child in this school. But who did she have? He was under no illusions; he wasn't knowledgeable of enough spells to be able to protect her. She needed an adult, just like he had. He had her, so who did she have?  
  
She stared down at the preteen for a long moment, attempting, and failing, to form words. The child was afraid for her. He was worried about her getting hurt. It nearly made her heart hurt. She could feel his fear along the bond they were forming and it hurt. It hurt to know her child was afraid for her and she had no words to make it better. Nothing to fix it. “I won't let that happen. I promise Teddy. No one will harm you, your brothers, or me. I will protect all four of us, alright?” She answered finally, knowing quite well that this might be a promise she couldn't keep. But she would deal with that if it happened.  
  
“Alright.” He replied quietly, hugging her for a moment before grabbing the unshrunk packages he had bought and darting through the door of her office to take them to his room. It wasn't alright. Alexis needed someone just like he had. Maybe he could find her someone who would protect her? Maybe he could learn the spells to protect her? He knew he could ask Remus and Severus to teach him a few spells. They would do so without asking questions. Because although she hadn't said anything, he was quite sure she hadn't wanted them to know what had happened. He wouldn't have, if it had been him. Maybe Bain would teach him some more spells.  
  
-x-  
  
“She did what?!”  
  
“Calm down. They are both fine.” Eric replied calmly, leaning against a wall in Filius' study. He directed his gaze at his son for a moment, raising an eyebrow at the younger man. His words applied to him as well, considering the snarl the younger man had given off. Which meant he was not as absorbed in his reading as he would have had them believe.  
  
Filius muttered darkly under his breath for a moment before taking a deep breath. He knew quite well that Eric's initial reaction had probably been much like his. But the younger Head had a bit of time to accept it. It was, after all, something Alexis would do. Taking a child to Milan to go shopping, for Merlin's sake! Her being stalked was no fault of her own, although ignoring a warning from a local friend was. One of them would have to deal with this latest act of disregard for her own life. And she dragged one of his soon-to-be grandchildren along for the ride! Anything could have happened. He followed Eric's gaze, biting back a smirk for a moment. The youngest of them was not pleased, either. Filius caught Eric's eye, tilting his head toward Remus with an arched brow. The other man hesitated for a brief second before nodding his consent. “One of us needs to speak with her. She needs to learn that the family rules still apply to her, even if she is Headmistress, and that there are consequences for her actions. Remus, you will be responsible for enforcing the family rules this time.” He remarked, breaking the tense silence. He forced down a chuckle at the expression on the younger man's face.  
  
“She needs to realize that all three of us will take her to task if necessary, especially if it involved putting herself and others in danger, which is exactly what she did today. She knowingly went somewhere when she had been warned that it wasn't safe and she put herself and her son in danger. She needs to know that that is not acceptable.She already knows what Filius and I would do, but she doesn't know, or believe, that you would also provide consequences for such actions. Not as a Head of her family, at least.” Eric added quietly, watching amber eyes for a moment.  
  
Remus bit back a sigh, abandoning all attempts at reading the book in front of him .They were right and he knew it. He just didn't have to like being that bad guy. “I understand. I will talk to her.” He responded finally, shaking his head slightly. He had a feeling it would not go well.  
  
-x-  
  
Alexis bit back a groan, shifting through the piles of parchment on her desk once more. She knew it was here, somewhere. It had to be. Papers didn't just get up and walk off and only Severus really had access to her office when she wasn't there, as deputy. But he had his own office and it wasn't a piece of paper he would have taken. She shuffled through one stack, cursing softly as a knock came at her door. She had to find that piece of parchment. She glanced at the door, turning back to the stacks since there was no light. It wasn't a child or counselor then, not that a counselor would be coming from her quarters. “Yeah?” She called out, starting to dig through a fourth stack.  
  
Remus stepped into the office, raising an eyebrow at the young woman. She didn't even look up, rather she was tossing papers every which way and muttering to herself. That was never a good sign.  
  
Perhaps it had fallen in the waste bin? But no, she had already checked that. She growled, staring at the mess on her desk for a long moment before her eyes settled on the untouched box of incoming mail. It was fuller than when she left, which meant Minzi had delivered it...It could be there. She grabbed the box, shifting through it quickly. No, no, no...there it was!! Alexis smirked, pulling the parchment out of the box and setting the box back into its place. She glanced at the mess of paper on her desk and waved her hand, watching for a moment as the papers settled back into their neat stacks. She relaxed slightly, finally turning her gaze to the person who had enter her office and raised an eyebrow. “Need something?” She inquired, tilting her head slightly. He seemed upset about something.  
  
“We need to talk.” Remus responded, settling down in a chair in front of her desk. She merely nodded, quill scratching quickly across whatever piece of work she had just found. The concentration on her face told him that it was important; he was willing to wait. He wasn't looking forward to this conversation. He understood their point, of course, that he was also a Head of this family and so he should act as one. But that didn't mean he had to like it.  
She wrote on for several minutes before folding the parchment and tapping it with her wand to seal it before tapping it again. She sighed softly as the parchment disappeared, setting her quill down and finally turning to look at Remus. “Sorry about that. What did you want to talk about?” She inquired, frowning slightly at his expression. Something was up. She had felt it a moment before and she could feel it even stronger now.  
  
“Your trip to Milan this morning. Specifically your constant need to place yourself in dangerous situations.” Remus replied calmly, leaning forward slightly. He felt the magic shift in the room, the change from a working relationship to a familial one. He still found it strange that he could now feel familial magic when before he had only felt his and Severus'. But it wasn't a bad feeling; it was a strong, good feeling of magic. Powerful.  
  
She bit her lip, forcing her face to remain blank. “I have no idea what you are talking about.” She replied slowly, flinching when his eyes turned amber and narrowed dangerously at her.  
  
He raised an eyebrow, clasping his hands together. “So you didn't go to Milan today?” He inquired almost nonchalantly, as if he was merely asking about the weather. But his eyes dared her to lie to him. He knew it wouldn't be the first time if she did, but she should know how he felt about lying by now.  
  
She hesitated, meeting his eyes for a brief moment before gazing down at her desk. She had felt the shift of magic as well. She was still his boss, of course, but in this conversation he was in charge. As much as she didn't like it, she wasn't in control here. “No, I did go to Milan. I took Teddy shopping for birthday presents. But it wasn't a dangerous situation.” She stated firmly, shaking her head. It hadn't been that dangerous. She had had it under control. The man didn't try anything, she had already run a diagnostic spell over herself just to check for trackers, and she would never let harm come to any of the children.  
  
“Oh? According to the letter Eric received, you were followed by a Hitwizard. You were also warned that it wasn't safe for you to come to Milan. And you have been told, repeatedly, to let someone know where you were going, because there is a man who wants you dead.” Remus replied silkily, watching the emotions flit across her face. Anger, confusion...and fear. But he knew instantly that the fear was not for herself.  
  
He had been a hitwizard? But he had held himself differently...once he spotted Teddy. When they had portkeyed away, she had seen his wand out, but it was lowered. Like he couldn't cast at her, even if he could catch her before the portkey vanished. And he could have. There was a twenty second window and that was plenty of time for a good wizard to cast. Hitwizards are often extremely fast. He could have got her. But her child...he wouldn't cast with a child on her hip. Bless that code. Hitwizards had ethnics, even if their job was to track and hunt people. Usually, they hunted criminals. But everyone had a price. Even then, there wasn't enough money in the world to get a professional hitwizard to go after a child. Children were sacred to them, just as they were to many other magicals. “Damn.” She whispered finally, biting the inside of her cheek. If he was a hitwizard, then she would have been in danger. And she had put Teddy in harms way. Because while professional hitwizards would never harm a child, it could had just been a criminal tracking her and they would have had no qualms at hurting her son.  
  
He saw the realization hit her and he sighed, watching the fight flee from her. “This cannot continue. We've talked about you putting yourself in danger before, about ignoring warnings and thinking things through. One of these days you will not be so lucky; you or one of the children could be seriously injured. So there can be no next time. Do you understand?” He remarked dryly, his tone leaving no room for argument. She had put herself in danger, again. He could see it in her eyes, even as her face remained an emotionless mask. She knew she was in trouble.  
  
“I understand.” She responded quietly, not meeting his eyes. Of course she understood, they didn't like it when she did something they considered dangerous. Even if it wasn't always dangerous. She knew, however, that today could have ended badly. The man had just followed them, but he could have tried to harm Teddy. And that would never be acceptable to her. Today had been dangerous, it had been stupid on her part, to ignore a warning from someone she knew would not lie to her. Not about this. She just hoped he would accept her agreement and leave it at that.  
  
“You know the rules in our family, as well as the consequences for breaking them. Let's get this over with.” He ordered briskly, after several minutes of silence.   
  
She gave a soft sigh but nodded, standing to move with him. Good. He wouldn't do this if she was truly against it. But it was his duty, as much as he disliked it.  
  
-x-  
  
Remus smiled softly, gazing down at the young woman who was curled up against him, her head resting on his shoulder, sound asleep. His arm was still wrapped around her, even though her tears were long gone. He had known she was probably tired, with all the work she did, but he hadn't realized how exhausted she really was until he had pulled her into his arms to comfort her. And she had fallen asleep soon after. He would have to see if he could convince her to let him and Severus take on some of the extra work that came with fixing Hogwarts. It was too much for her to do alone. He summoned a book with his free hand, gazing at the woman for a moment longer. She looked so peaceful and young when she slept, so very young. He didn't want to wake her, not when it was clear that she had not slept recently. Instead, he would read until she woke, there wasn't anything else he needed to do right now, after all. This was part of being family, taking care of one another. And if she felt safe enough to sleep curled against him, well he wasn't going to wake her. Not anytime soon.  
-x-


	29. To Trespass

Harry grumbled, pushing the peas around on his plate. He was not eating them. If only Severus would let them have a dog...then he could feed the peas to the dog. Granted, they were not at home but at Diagon Alley, the four of them. They had been doing some shopping, for birthday presents mostly, and they were hungry. Well, he and Karrie had been hungry. But he wouldn't have said anything if he had known that Remus would make them eat vegetables too. Even if their counselors usually tried to get them to eat vegetables. Yuck.   
  
Karrie sighed, glaring at the chicken on her plate. Remus had given them a choice on what to order but all of the options had included meat and she wasn't fond of meat. At least chicken wasn't as horrible. She just really didn't want to eat it today. She met Harry's eyes, tilting her head slightly and raising a brow before blinking twice. The boy tugged on his lip, blinking back slowly before turning to Severus and Remus.  
  
“Where are we going next?” Harry asked suddenly, gazing at the older men and biting back a grin when they both focused on him.   
  
“Karrie wanted to go to the bookstore and we still need to run by the apothecary, just for a moment.” Severus responded, raising an eyebrow at the child. They had discussed this before they stopped for lunch. Really, if the child was going to try to distract them, he could be a bit more creative  
  
Harry nodded, turning back to his lunch. He fought a smirk, taking a bite of the delicious chicken before glancing at Karrie. She was casually eating his peas. Best arrangement ever.   
  
“ _Do they think we are blind?”_ Remus thought, shaking his head at the 'twins'.   
  
_“Obviously.”_ Severus responded automatically before blinking and meeting his partner's eyes. That was new. He knew Remus hadn't been projecting and they hadn't made eye contact..so how were they able to communicate like that? He knew Tim and Eric could, but they were blood-bonded and had been for years. It wasn't like the non-verbal communication he had with Alexis. This was different. But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. They would just have to explore it later.  
  
Remus frowned, arching a brow at the younger man. He hadn't been projecting and neither had Severus. They both had enough control to not project anymore. They weren't emotional teenagers after all, or twenty-somethings either. Huh. That was something to ask Eric about, then. The man knew more about bonds and rituals than he let on. He would surely know what was happening here. Not that it was bad, of course. In fact, he could think of several situations where it would be extremely useful.  
  
Severus sighed softly, watching their children finish eating. He had lost count of the number of people who had come up to tell them that their 'twins' were adorable and to ask whether the two started Hogwarts this year or the next. After the first reaction to the two being rising third years, they had decided to just let people believe that they were nearly eleven, instead of nearly thirteen. Some didn't believe they were even ten. They were both so small and nearly identical. Hell, Karrie and Harry had formed a deep sibling bond and they had done it in only a few weeks. It took months for him and Alexis to even acknowledge theirs.   
  
“Done? Alright, bookstore then.” Remus stated after a few minutes, tossing the empty plates into the nearest bin. “Wait for us and don't run, Harry! Stay together.” He ordered, frowning at the two. They stopped, moving back to them at a more sedate pace. Merlin, these children would turn him gray, constantly taking off like that. They might be preteens, but they were his children and he would protect them. Even if they thought they were too old for protection. No child of his was going to run wild in the market, the gods only know what could happen.  
  
-x-  
  
Alexis glanced up from her work for a moment, eyes moving from couch to couch before landing on the child playing quietly on the floor. She had transfigured one of the armchairs in her office into a couch and had moved the other couch so that she could see the preteen sleeping on it. Her preteen sound asleep on one couch, Ariana asleep on the other, and Lila playing contently on the plush rug she had conjured. Teddy hadn't slept the night before, as attested by the rings under her eyes. She had tried coaxing the child to sleep, even brought him to her own bed, but when he did drift off, it wasn't long before nightmares woke him. He wouldn't talk about it but she could guess what his dreams were about and it was her fault. Ariana, on the other hand...that was a whole other mess. The teenage girl had apparently had violent nightmares again, but worse. To the point where she was so exhausted, she was going off. And had slugged another teenager. Thankfully, Bain had not reacted by hitting her back but by wrapping his arms around her and holding her until Mary could step in. But Mary was also tired, having been up with a couple of the girls last night. So she had corralled the three of them into her office, since Lila went everywhere Ariana did when Karrie wasn't around and wouldn't stay with Kate or Rose, and Rani was having a morning off. She had convinced Teddy to lie down for a nap and then argued Ariana down until the teen agreed to at least rest. Five minutes later, the older blond had been sound asleep. It was the younger one who had drawn her attention now.   
  
“Eh so do a ey no.” Lila shook one doll at the other, making the other dance over the carpet with her other hand. “Ta ta. No.” The blue-haired doll stomped its foot, shaking its head back and forth. “No no eh oh.” It grumbled, huffing at the red-haired doll. They were gifts, the blue one from Rani, the red from Kate. Her favourite was the bigger baby doll, the one that looked like her. These were just fashion dolls, small and made for girls her age. She knew the baby doll was probably for younger girls, but she didn't care. It was her favourite and it was currently sitting on the floor beside her. “La la eh no.”   
  
Alexis raised an eyebrow, glancing toward the sleeping pair for a moment. She had placed a silencing spell around the area, so that the two could sleep in peace but she could still hear if either of them started having night terrors. Both were still out. She set down her quill, watching the young girl with sharp eyes. The way Lila was speaking...it almost sounded like toddler talk. Not that she had much experience with toddlers; teenagers and children were different than little toddlers. She had rarely dealt with the under five crowd, even when she had run a children's ward. She remembered the encounters with Draco when he had been a toddler though: he had sounded much like that. Which was interesting. Her non-verbal student, the youngest currently with them, was making her dolls talk like toddlers. Clearly the words had meaning to the child. She frowned suddenly, leaning forward when the ten year old started slamming one of her dolls into the floor.   
  
“Nah nah no. Bah. Bahh! BAD.” The green-haired doll scolded, brushing past the red-headed doll and shoving the blue-haired doll into ground. The blue-haired doll tried to get up, but she kept being slammed back down. Lila jerked her hand again, sending the doll smashing into the carpet once more. “Bad bad bad.” She intoned, shaking her own head.   
  
She had never seen this child play violently, nor had she heard of the girl doing so. If anything, Lila played carefully and took good care of the few toys she had of her own. She knew that one of those dolls actually belonged to the school, but that wasn't what bothered her. She had understood that last word, loud and clear. Bad. What were her dolls saying or doing that was bad enough to be punished by being slammed into the floor? Alexis moved slowly, getting up from her desk and working her way over to the rug. She sat down on the floor, a bit away from the child. She still wanted her to feel safe, after all. “Lila? Are you having fun?” She inquired casually, giving the child a warm smile when the girl looked up at her.   
  
Her mouth moved for a moment but nothing came out. It always happened around other people. When she was by herself and felt safe, she could make all the sounds she wanted, even if the words didn't always come. But with other people, it was only the silence. She hated it! She hated being so freaky! She slammed the doll into the floor again, nodding quickly. She had been having fun, even if her doll had been bad and needed punishment.   
  
She almost wanted to take the child to the sensory room, which they had planned to introduce her to Monday, but it wasn't done and she couldn't just leave two sleeping children to wake up alone, when she had promised Teddy she would be here when he woke up. “Okay, well can you tell me about your dolls?” She asked, raising an eyebrow as the girl didn't stop slamming the doll down. Lila's mouth moved for a moment and the child gave her a frustrated glare before shaking her head. “You can use your hands Lila. Tell me with your hands?” She suggested calmly, catching a doll shoe when it flew off the poor doll's foot.   
  
She hesitated for a moment, setting one of the dolls down gently before slamming the other one down hard. 'She has been bad. Need to punish. Bad bad bad. This one is adult. That one is good. This one bad.' Lila signed, pointing to each of the three dolls in turn.   
  
“Why is that one bad? Why does she need to be punished?”   
  
She shrugged, shaking her head. She didn't really know. She just knew that the doll had been bad and bad deserved to be punished. Right? Bad was always punished.   
  
Alexis hesitated, leaning back slightly. “So the adult is punishing her because she was bad? But does she really deserve to be beaten like that? What could she have done that was so bad?” She asked, quirking a brow and tilting her head to the side. The child was young enough to not understand that she was turning this into play therapy, analyzing the child's actions and answers as a way to understand her. As a way to get inside her head, as a way to help her. After all, many play therapy sessions used dolls in certain scenarios to get a child to talk about difficult subjects. Distracting the children with playing made it easier for them to relax, to open up. She just wasn't sure if it would work here or if trying to get the child to open up would lead to a tantrum. She knew, from experience and from conversations, that most of Lila's sessions ended in tantrums. Honestly, the child had been building up to a supreme melt-down over the last few days. She wouldn't be surprised if this ended in a tantrum.  
  
Lila shrugged, tugging on her own hair for a moment before picking the doll up again. The doll was bad, it was that simple. Bad meant punishment. That was punishment. She shrugged again, pushing that doll to one side and picking up the good one.   
  
“You don't know?”   
  
Lila grunted, shrugging again. Even if she knew, she couldn't tell her. Her words didn't work right, didn't the headmistress understand that?   
Alexis sighed, opening her mouth to ask another question but froze, reaching for the pendant around her neck. Between the castle screaming in her head and the burning of her pendant...something was seriously wrong. “Lila, I'll be right back, alright?” She stood quickly, catching the child's gaze for a moment. The worry in the girl's eyes made her pause. “Everything will be fine, I just need to check on something.” She added quietly, striding to her quarters and pushing open the door. “Bain, keep an eye on Lila. Elijah, go with him, you can work on that in my office. I'll be back in a bit.” She ordered quietly, catching the eldest boy's eyes.   
  
“Alexis?” Bain frowned, gently nudging the younger boy toward her office. If she wanted them in her office, there was a reason.   
  
She hesitated, watching Elijah slip quietly into her office before turning back to her oldest son. She grimaced at the sudden onslaught of pain, hand grasping the pendant. “I don't know, Bain. Get inside and keep them safe. Call Severus!” She ordered, forcing herself to focus on the thoughts streaming through her mind. The screams. She glanced at the door when she heard it snap shut, rising the wards around her office before taking hold of the pendant again. “Counselors! Code C!” She ordered, sending both her voice and her magic through the pendant. “Eric, infirmary! Teachers, find any stranglers!” She released the pendant taking a breath and holding her arm out. “Lead me.”She requested softly, relaxing at the bird's quiet thrill as Fawkes landed on her arm. She took a breath, feeling them flash before opening her eyes. They were in one of the far courtyards, close to the mountain. She could feel it in the very air, the ward was weaker here.  
  
“Alexis.” Isaac groaned, trying not to move. His leg was broken, he knew that feeling. Broken and bleeding, bastard.   
  
“Isaac.” She hissed, moving fast but quietly toward him. Whoever had harmed the child could still be in range. She dropped beside him, placing a gentle hand on his chest. She let her magic drop into him, scanning him for serious damage. Her eyes spotted the broken leg instantly, but she couldn't quite tell where the boy was bleeding from. “What happened?”   
  
“A man..he just seemed to appear. There. I tried to stop him but I couldn't. He headed toward the school Alexis! You have to stop him. He said something about a child.” Isaac gasped, fighting down the pain and pointing toward a spot on what appeared to be a mountain wall.   
  
Alexis swore softly, following his gesture. There was a small hole in the wards right there. So small, she couldn't have sensed it from the castle. A pinhole, almost like a keyhole. Like a doorway in. Someone had to purposefully place it there and they would have had to do it from the inside. Just another item on the long list of grievances she had with the former Deputy. She took a deep breath to calm herself, slipping a band out of her robes. She clasped it around the boy's wrists, brushing his hair away from his face. “I am going to send you to the infirmary, alright? I will be up as soon as this is over. You did well Isaac.” She murmured soothingly, tapping the band to activate the emergency portkey. She waited until the child disappeared before pulling herself up. Her gray eyes flash with fury. Someone had harmed one of her children and they would paid. No one harmed her children. Not under her watch. She took another deep breath, waving her hand toward the hole in the ward, to patch it temporarily. No one would get in or out until she could seal it properly. “Fawkes, come. We have a person to hunt.” She called softly, holding her arm out once more.   
  
She opened her eyes to screams sounding in her ears. Her eyes instantly found the teenagers, throwing a quick shield around their position, before scanning for the spell-fire she could see. The flashes of magic traced back to a tree. She growled under her breath, stepping between the teenagers, who had taken shelter behind a group of trees, and the person trespassing. “Show yourself!”   
  
He chuckled. Did this child really think she could defend these grounds from him? He was years older, plenty experienced, and on a mission. He just had to find the right child first and none of the children would tell him, even after he hurt one of them. He hated harming little ones, but it sometimes came with the job. For the right amount of gold, of course. He could justify it, could tell himself that he was just returning a child to its' parents but that didn't make him feel much better. “I'm looking for a boy! Tell me where he is and no one gets hurt!” He retorted, watching her around the edge of the tree. The young woman hadn't even sought cover! Even the children had sought cover before starting to fire at him. Little ones might not know much, but they sure as hell tried.  
  
“No. You will leave, now.” She responded silkily, dangerously. This man did not know who he was messing with. This was her school, she had the magic of Hogwarts behind her.   
  
He snorted, stepping slightly around the tree. If she wasn't afraid to face him, then he would show her why she should be. Did they even let people that young be teachers? She was too old to be a student but not nearly old enough to have any experience. Apprentice or Mastery student then. She wouldn't be difficult to deal with. “You are in over your head, child.” He shrugged, twirling his wand absently. He raised an eyebrow when she blocked the invisible stream of magic with a mere wave of her hand.  
  
She scowled, batting away the spell like it was an irritating bug. She didn't recognize the magical signature attached to it, but that mattered not. He was trespassing and harming her children. She would make sure he never thought to do so again. She lifted her wand with one hand, stretching the other out to the side, palm up. “Goddess guide me.” She whispered, sending off a spell of her own.   
  
He blocked the spell, frowning slightly. The power behind that spell was surprising, especially from such a young woman. “Alright then, if you want to duel, so be it.” He remarked, shaking his head. It didn't matter if she had power, he could handle her. Power was not experience, after all. She would misstep and he could easily take advantage of it. He just had to wait for it.   
  
She dodged the onslaught of spells, throwing a stronger shield around the children. This was no angry parent; this was a professional. But why he was after one of her children...that would be the first question she asked after she subdued him. Of course, she had to subdue him first. She blocked another spell, glaring at the older man. Now he was just being nasty. She shrugged, twisting her wand in a pattern Severus had taught her, sneering at the man.   
  
He swore, jumping away from the swarm of wasps flying at him. That was unexpected...and creative. He banished the wasps with a curse, sending another cutting spell her way, glaring when the younger woman merely sidestepped it. There were no spark trails with his spells, they were all silently cast; how the hell was she dodging them? Unless she was one of the rare few who could see magic; if she was, this would be interesting. He did love a good challenge. He sent a stronger curse toward her, banishing another swarm of wasps, but not before one managed to sting him.   
  
Alexis grunted, throwing her shield up and narrowing her eyes. She was done playing with this man. She took a deep breath, summoning the magic from around her to her outstretched hand. She _pulled_ , twisting every strand she could gather together before turning her palm to face him and letting the magic stream through her. She slammed it at him, forcing the sudden wave of dizziness down and drawing on the magic of Hogwarts.   
  
He grunted when a stream of pure magic slammed into him, knocking him down. He fought down a wince, breathing through the flares of pain as he felt magic wrap around his hands and legs. Great, now he couldn't move. But that didn't mean he couldn't cast. He groaned, wiggling his fingers and muttering under his breath but...nothing.   
  
“I weaved magic-suppressants into the bonds. Stay there.” Alexis ordered coolly, watching him for a moment to make sure he was truly down before turning and dropping the shield around the children. She moved quickly, stepping around the trees they had taken refuge behind and dropping to the ground. She gently placed a hand on the girl's chest, letting her magic drop into her. There was a gash to her leg, but nothing serious. She traced her wand over the edge of the wound, to help it scab over. “Are you two alright?” She questioned softly, moving to check on the other two teenagers. Three fifteen year old girls had tried to take on a grown wizard, and from the marks he had when she showed up, they had done a good job of defending themselves. Two quick nods and she fought back a sigh. They were physically alright but otherwise? She wasn't so sure that they were alright. She removed three bands from her robe pocket, moving to place one on the injured child first. “Here you go Lexie. This will take you to Eric.” She murmured soothingly, placing the band around her wrist before tapping it twice. She then turned to the other two teenaged girls, placing a band on each offered limb. “Rose, Hannah. Let Eric check you over, alright?” She ordered softly, tapping both bands and waiting for a moment, until each girl had vanished. Eric would take care of them, calm them more. She had a scumbag to handle right now before she could go check on them. She growled, stalking back over to where he laid, struggling against the bonds she had made. “Struggling makes it hurt more.” She remarked coolly, placing her hands on her hips. “Now, why don't you tell me why you are after my students?” She inquired firmly, raising an eyebrow at him.   
  
He blinked, staring up at the younger woman for a long moment. Her students? “Who are you?” He snarled, stopping his struggle to get his hands free. It was no use, he could not break whatever spell she had used.   
  
“I'm the Headmistress. And you are fucking with _my_ students. Now tell me why.” She ordered dangerously, leaning forward and glaring down at him.   
  
Headmistress? This child was the _Headmistress_? She couldn't be more than thirty! But yet, he had felt her magic, was bound by it presently. The very air seemed to crack around her. She wasn't someone he wanted to try, not while his magic was restricted anyway. “I was asked to retrieve a child who was snatched from his parents illegally and unfairly.” He responded finally, meeting stone cold eyes. It was the truth. He had been asked, with gold. Lots of gold.  
  
She snorted humorlessly, shaking her head. “So someone offers to pay you to kidnap a child that they say belongs to them and you don't even question it? Didn't even ask why they didn't use the proper channels? Who is the child?” She sneered, fighting down her urge to curse him. But she didn't curse someone who was already down. Well, she shouldn't, anyway.   
  
He attempted to shrug, grimacing when the magic seemed to bite into him. “Don't know his name. I did ask but they said the Ministry wouldn't hear them out. Letter's in my pocket.” He grumbled, trying to move his hand, but even if he could get it to his pocket, he wouldn't give her the letter. Not that he had much of a choice in this position.   
  
“Accio scumbag's letter.” Alexis growled, smirking when the letter flew from his trouser pocket toward her. She kept it in the air, conjuring a plastic document bag and slowly guiding the letter into it with her wand. She sealed the bag and then she finally snatched it out of the air. The letter was evidence after all. She scanned the letter, fighting down her rage with every lie. “Did they tell you that they beat their son to near unconsciousness? That when he arrived here, he had three broken ribs and a fractured femur? Did they mention that they tried to kill him, twice? Did they tell you that they starved him, so he's twenty kilo's underweight?” She snarled silkily, letting her anger show through for just a moment. “His name is Benjamin, he is fourteen years old and afraid of the dark. He likes swimming, football, and girls. His favourite food is chicken, any kind, and he is allergic to peanuts. His favourite class is history, because he likes listening to stories. He hates transfiguration and he loves telling jokes. His so called parents wouldn't know any of this. I've been trying to get them to sign over their rights for three weeks. So thank you.” She added in a dangerous calm, fumbling around in her pocket for a quill and parchment.   
  
“Thank you?” He frowned, tilting his head toward her. The couple who had hired him hadn't told him that they had harmed the child. But then, it wasn't his business how they raised their own child.   
  
She gestured to the letter, finishing a quick missive and spelling both onto the man's clothes, so that they could not be removed. “Kidnapping a child is illegal. Paying someone to kidnap a child is also illegal. This is proof enough that their rights will be waived by the courts immediately.” She shrugged, smirking at him and summoning Fawkes. “Fawkes, drop this scumbag at the DMLE.” She requested, sneering at the man as the bird squawked, whisking the man away to drop him directly in front of a group of Aurors. She sighed softly, stumbling toward a tree. Now, she just had to seal the wards and strengthen them. But she needed Severus for that. She just needed a moment, a bit of a break, before she went to check on the children and to get Severus. She groaned, catching herself on the tree and dropping to sit against it. “Thank you Goddess.” She murmured as darkness washed over her.  
  
-x-  
  
Severus didn't know whether to laugh or scowl. He settled on smirking, fetching a camera from his pocket and snapping a picture of the younger woman, sleeping against a tree with Fawkes perched just about her, watching over her. He had used the tracking spell in her pendant to find her, in one of the back courtyards. He moved toward her, making as much noise as possible. “Time to wake up, Alexis.” He called quietly, firmly. Her eyes fluttered up and he crouched beside her, casting a quick diagnostic spell. The scan showed clear and he relaxed slightly. Exhaustion from channeling magic then.   
  
“We need to take care of the wards.” She grunted, forcing her eyes open. They were at a midway point, after all. They could strength and fix all of the wards from here without a problem. It needed to be done sooner rather than later.   
  
He hesitated for a moment, glancing around them. They could do it here. He knew that look in her eyes; if he said no, she'd just try to do it by herself. Better to help her with it than have her pass out from the drain. He silently held a hand out to her, pulling her to her feet. “Together?”   
  
“Together.” She responded softly, taking a breath and starting to move in a clockwise circle, his hand tight in hers, her other hand outstretched to the side. “We cast this circle, once upon, to keep all evil out.” She chanted softly, feeling their magic slowly soak into the earth.   
  
“We cast this circle, twice around, to keep magic cast within.” Severus chanted, easily keeping pace with her. This was something they could do asleep. Their magic was connected; this was easy.   
  
“Thrice around we cast this circle and call forth these elements four: fire, earth, air, and sea guided by these directions be. To protect this place and those within, now let this working begin.” They finished as one, releasing each others hands and moving to the center of the circle. They seated themselves on the ground, taking a breath as one. This was the where the real work began.   
  
-x-  
  
Alexis opened her eyes with a sigh, releasing the last of the wards. She had woven new, stronger wards over the old ones; since they had removed some wards and added others previously, she didn't have to replace all the wards. But they had strengthen them all and made sure that the entire grounds were completely covered, there were no weak spots now. No thin areas. The wards were solid, whole. They would need to be checked regularly and strengthened until school started back. Once classes started, the sheer number of magic users would feed the wards inadvertently. But even with the wards fixed, there was still so much left to finish.   
  
“Ready?” Severus inquired, stretching his back out before reaching a hand down to her. They had to finish the ritual and ground the magic they had used.   
  
She nodded firmly, grasping his hand and letting him pull her to her feet. She flexed each of her legs once, forcing the pins and needles feeling away. “Ready. “ She grasped his hand, taking a slow breath as he started the journey counterclockwise.   
  
“Thrice around we go once more and release our friends four.” He chanted, letting the magic wash over him. The magic was alive within them and around them, it was always an amazing, if sometimes overwhelming, feeling.   
  
“Sea, Air, Fire, and Earth, thanks be to thee. Magic forged here kept within, these workings sound and solidly stand.” She added instantly. She always knew her place in rituals when she worked them with Severus, could always find the right words to say. And she knew he was much the same.   
  
“Magic forged, thanks to thee.”   
  
“Now go in peace, blessed be.”   
  
“So mote it be!” They finished as one, hands going toward the point of the dome. They broke away from each other and she took a deep breath, feeling the magic fill her body for a moment. She took another breath, shifting it through her own magic, cleansing and grounding it, before letting it wash over her and out, into the ground. There was work to do and children to check on, but for a moment, just a moment, everything was at peace. She knew the feeling couldn't last, she took care of children after all and a castle full of children didn't give much chance for peace. But it was refreshing and after the events of the day, something she desperately needed. Everything would work out, gods willing.   
  
  



	30. Tantrums

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Longer than usual! And updated sooner! Go me! Also, italics with quotation marks are bonded conversations in this chapter and from here on out. Enjoy.

-x-  
It was not even lunch time yet and he had already broken up two fights, settled three arguments, found a pair of shoes, and convinced a fourteen year old that deodorant wouldn't harm him, really. Just a typical Monday. No one had told him that caring for fifteen teenage boys would take so much out of him. Jake was tired. He wouldn't admit it, but he was. He was helping the other counselors, acting as Head Counselor, keeping an eye on his boys, and trying very hard not to snap at the next person who asked him a stupid question. “Don't hit!” He ordered, frowning at two of his boys for a moment before they moved away from each other. He might be tired, but that didn't mean he wasn't always watching.

Elijah grumbled, scoffing his foot into the ground. Jake had finally gotten tired of their constant restlessness and taken all of his bunk outside to run off some energy. Fifteen of them, although only some were running about. Isaac, for one, with his leg bound in a cast, was sitting under a tree reading. The other boy was always reading, it was kind of boring. But then, he wasn't much for reading. Elijah frowned, catching sight of a running blur. He turned to see it better, tilting his head when he recognized that blur. What was Lila doing out here? And why was she alone? He glanced toward Jake, but the older man was busy scolding two boys. He watched her for just a second before moving quickly toward her. Lila was too little to be out here alone, especially with all the older boys around. Or with Derek around, he should say. Although the bully had never even gone near the little girl. His longer legs helped him reach her before she was too far away. “Lila!”

She stopped suddenly, turning to stare at him. She bit her lip for a moment, glaring at the older boy. But this was Elijah, he often looked after Karrie. He wouldn't harm her. She didn't want to go in though. She didn't want to talk to anyone! It was too loud! She stomped her foot, glaring up at him.

“Lila, why don't you come back with me to Jake? You can't be running around by yourself, especially this close to the lake.” Elijah suggested, reaching out a hand to the younger girl. "

“Nooo!” She shrieked, slapping his hand away. The hurt expression in his eyes almost made her give in. Almost. But she didn't want to go back to the castle. She was angry and no one understood!

He gaped at her for a moment. She had spoken. Well, yelled really. But it was a word, a real word. That didn't mean anything though. One word didn't mean she would suddenly start chatting away. “Come on Lila. It's dangerous this far out.” He reasoned, holding his hand out again. And then grimacing when she kicked him.

“NO!” She shrieked again, glaring at the older boy. She didn't want to.

“What's going on here?” Jake inquired, coming toward the two children. If his eyes were not deceiving him, the smaller child was Lila. But why was she alone? She was too close to the lake, particularly for a child who could not swim, for comfort.

“I saw Lila running and was trying to get her to come back to our group. She shouldn't be alone.” Elijah responded, not looking away from the younger girl.

Lila shrieked again, kicking out at Elijah, but he moved back quickly and Jake was suddenly crouched in front of her, resting a hand on her shoulder. No! She didn't want to. She just wanted to be left ALONE!

“Why don't you come with me, Lila?” He suggested softly, meeting blue eyes until the little girl looked away. Right before she kicked him. He hid a wince, raising an eyebrow at her. “Are we having a tantrum?” He added calmly, dismissing Elijah with a nod and a clasp of his shoulder, before crouching once more. She kicked him again and he sighed. “That's enough.”

She wasn't having a tantrum! That was for babies! She wasn't a baby! She should be able to go out on her own! It was too loud. She wanted Ariana! “ARIA!” She shrieked, lashing out with her fist this time. Only for a hand to catch it and she found herself pulled into strong arms.

Jake stood, balancing the younger girl on his hip and swaying slightly with her as he kept a strong hold of her. “Enough Lila. That is enough. We don't behave like this.” He remarked firmly, ignoring the little fists that were hitting his back and side. Oh yes, definitely a tantrum. Alexis had warned them that one was coming and he had noticed the girl building up to a supreme meltdown, so it wasn't totally unexpected. What was unexpected was that she had chosen to run outside, away from the castle and her sister. He also wasn't sure what had been the trigger for this. But that didn't matter at the moment. He needed to get the child calm before her magic started lashing out. He kept moving with her, hoping the motion would help her relax.

Lila squirmed. She didn't want to calm down! She wanted to be left ALONE! Why couldn't he understand? Why didn't anyone understand? She shrieked again, wiggling violently. She wanted down!

“Shh, Lila. It's alright. Just calm down. Shh.” Jake murmured, wishing that he had a rocking chair at this moment. The teenage boys were so much easier to deal with when they were having a meltdown. Granted, they were also older. Lila was ten. Ten, mostly non-verbal, and frustrated. He would have frequent outbursts too if he couldn't communicate with anyone. He gave a soft sigh when his constant muttered nonsense and the slight bouncing and rocking motions had calmed the screaming, at least. Now the child was crying into his shoulder but she was still kicking him. “Lila? Are you calmer?” He inquired softly, fighting back a grimace when she hit him. Hard.

No! A little. But she didn't want to be calmer. She just couldn't scream any more. It hurt. And it was loud. Everything was too loud. She covered her ears with her hands, shaking her head even as she buried it into his shoulder. She didn't want him to put her down. But she wanted to be left alone. Lila grimaced. She didn't know what she wanted. Her mind was so confusing sometimes.

He raised an eyebrow, tilting his head back so that he could observe the little girl. She was covering her ears. So either she was trying to ignore him or her ears hurt. Or maybe...the noise hurt her ears. The noise of all the students in the castle. Which would explain why she had ran outside. But not why she was still blocking sound. It was a bit quieter out here, although he could still hear the noises his boys were making. But it wasn't nearly as loud as standing surrounded by the boys had been. They were far enough away for the noise to be dim. “Is the noise bothering you?” He asked after a moment. The nod into his shoulder was his answer. Jake nodded to himself, casting a silencing spell around them. The nearly silent bubble wasn't something he liked, but he knew it would help the child relax some.

Lila blinked, lifting her head up and letting her hands drop away from her ears. It had gotten really, really quiet. She glanced around quickly, reassuring herself that they were in the same place. They hadn't moved. So why had it gotten so quiet? Oh. Magic. Ariana had told her of a quiet spell but her sister had never cast it around her. There had never been the need for it. She leaned into him a bit more, relaxing her tight grip on his shirt. She didn't even protest when he shifted her slightly, so that he could hold her easier. At least he wasn't putting her down. Yet. The quiet helped. She could think in the quiet. She could focus. Sometimes she focused too much, that's what Ariana said anyway. She could get lost in a task for hours. But that wasn't bad. Not really. It was safe. The noise, it wasn't safe. It had been too loud in the castle, even a bit loud out here. It hurt her ears and her head. It made her feel crowded, alone. Different. Scared. She knew she was a bit weird, even if she could talk she would be weird, but the noise made it worse. She had trouble understanding her emotions sometimes and sometimes when it was bad, she just...panicked. Because she didn't like feeling like this. She was confused and sad and angry all at once. It was too much. Too much! But the noise was gone. That helped. At least, she thought it did. She was only ten, after all. She didn't understand everything, didn't understand why so much bad had happened to her. Why she was so bad. But it was quiet. And quiet was good.

He shifted the child slightly, to balance her weight better. She wasn't that heavy, if anything the girl was underweight but holding any child for an extended period of time was hard. So he had been right then. The noise was part of the problem. Perhaps it had even been what had triggered this tantrum. Maybe she had gotten upset or angry and the noise had just set her off. It was possible. He was just happy that she was no longer hitting or kicking him. “I know you don't want to tell me why you are upset. I just want to know how I can help.” He murmured quietly, watching the little girl. She wouldn't look up at him, but that was alright. If she was comfortable enough to lay her head on his shoulder and to let him hold her, then he would just hold her and wait for an answer. He refused to speak to this child like she was stupid or couldn't understand him, like some counselors. He knew that she could understand him. She would answer in her own way, either with noises of her own or her hands. She had developed, with the help of Kate and Rani, an exaggerated form of sign language, made mostly of mimics and gestures. It would do until they had mastered sign language or she was able to verbally communicate. He didn't hold much hope for the latter. Not any time soon. The child was non-verbal for a reason. It would not disappear overnight.

Lila shrugged, biting her lip. She didn't know how he could help. The quiet he created helped though. If she could have quiet inside the castle, that might help. And being held. That helped. It made her feel safe. She hesitated for a moment before moving her hands so that he could see them. She placed them over her ears, shaking her head. She then crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself tight, even as his grip tighten on her so that she would not slip.

So if he could block the noise, that would help. Jake had a solution for that, although it would be temporary until they could buy her a pair. “I think I can help Lila. I need to put you down for a moment. Just a moment.” He replied firmly. He had understood the other sign, after all. She wanted to be held. Which was perfectly fine. He set her on her feet, fighting his resolve when pleading eyes stared up at him. But it would only take a moment to conjure it. He unsheathed his wand, ignoring the slight flinch, and quickly conjured a pair of noise canceling headphones. He owned a pair of the bulky. headphones once and he knew they would be perfect for the little girl. He kneel in front of her, placing the headphones gently over her ears before standing and swinging her onto his hip once more. He moved one of the ear pieces to the side for a moment. “That should help with the noise. I'll cancel the spell and then we can head back up. Does that sound good to you?” He asked, meeting blue eyes for the first time since her tantrum started.

Lila thought for a moment before nodding. If the noise got bad again, she could always kick him.

Jake smiled at the girl, resettling the ear piece before canceling the silencing spell. He began the trek back up to his boys, it was time to take them in for lunch, after all. He had a feeling, it was just a feeling, that he might end up eating with a child on his lap. And that would be alright with him.

-x-

“You bit him?” Alexis questioned, leaning forward in her chair. It wasn't even noon yet and already one of her children was in trouble.

Teddy shrugged, glaring down at his swinging feet. It had felt like the best response at the time.

“Perhaps the better question would be, why did you bite him?” Of all of her boys, Teddy was not the one she expected to be in trouble. Particularly for losing his temper and biting someone. Thankfully, the person he bit was old enough to not respond in anger. Although, why her son would bite one of the counselors was beyond her. It wasn't even one of his counselors.

Again Teddy shrugged, stretching his feet out as far as they could, to see if he could touch the desk. He couldn't, not yet. He didn't want to tell her. Usually he could control his anger, he wasn't even angry anymore. He just...reacted. And the man had been taller, and he didn't believe in hitting, because his father had hit, so he bit him. It was simple, really.

“Look at me, Teddy.” She ordered, biting back a sigh. She didn't like being hard on any of her children, especially this one. If he wouldn't tell her what happened, she couldn't help him.

He haltingly raised his eyes, staring somewhere off to her left. He was looking at her, just not at her. He didn't want to see the disappointment in her eyes.

“You bit a counselor, Teddy. That's serious. I need to know why.” And it was serious. She didn't know if her child had bitten the man because he had made him angry or if the man was harming him or if there was something else going on that she needed to know about. The children lashed out, they tested boundaries, but usually with their own counselors. Paul was more of a mindhealer than a counselor. He worked rotating shifts, so that one of the boy's counselors could have a day off and he occasionally was assigned to look after the grounded children. He rarely spent time with the younger boys and Teddy had never been grounded, to the cabins or to her quarters. Not yet, anyway. Something had happened. She didn't think the man would harm any of the children, but she had to be sure.

“He was talking shit about you.” Teddy answered finally, dropping his eyes back to his feet. The man had been trash talking Alexis and that had made him mad. She was his Alexis! No one was allowed to talk about her that way! So he had lunged and bitten the man. He wasn't even sure the two adults had known they were there.

Alexis stared at her child for a moment, blinking. Did he really just say what she thought he did? “Language, Teddy.” She reprimanded instantly, fighting to keep from laughing. She knew why Paul was bad mouthing her, at least. And she was willing to bet that whatever conversation her child had overheard, he had missed part of. Otherwise, he might not have bitten the man. It was just astonishing to her how much loyalty and care Teddy had for her, in a such a short period of time. Three weeks. Three weeks and the child was already defending her name. She would have to tell this to Severus later and have a good laugh. But for now, she had a misbehaving child to deal with. “Even if he was talking bad about me, is that reason to bite him Teddy?” She inquired once she had gathered herself together, arching a brow at the boy.

“It seemed like a good idea at the time. He said you could go bite his-”

“Teddy...I don't need a word for word quote son.” She interrupted quickly, biting the inside of her cheek. Merlin, if the child kept on, she would break down laughing. Her innocence little thirteen year old did not need to be repeating choice language. Language she would reprimand Paul for later. The counselors knew to keep the swearing to a minimum anywhere that wasn't in their rooms, the meeting room, or her office. She didn't need any of the younger teens learning new, vulgar words.

He blushed, feeling a swell of pride in his chest for a moment. He always got that glowy feeling when she called him son. “Well he did. So I bit his arm instead. I know I shouldn't have. But I was angry and I just reacted. I'm sorry, Alexis. He still shouldn't have said it.” Teddy shrugged, peeking up at her for a moment. She didn't look upset, so that was one good thing. He hadn't really thought about it, he just acted. And he knew it was childish to bite someone, but it had just sort of happened.

“Perhaps he shouldn't have. But even if he was wrong, that doesn't make you right. You will need to learn to stop and think before acting, Teddy. You cannot lash out at everyone who is angry at me. There is always going to be someone who is. You will even be angry at me in the future, for one reason or another. It comes with this job, child. I know why Paul was bad mouthing me. And I understand why that upset you. But it cannot happen again. Alright?” She replied firmly, holding brown eyes with her own until he nodded.

“Yes Alexis. I'll try to keep my temper.” He answered almost bashfully. He knew he had been wrong and he knew two wrongs didn't make something right. He really just didn't want anyone talking junk about his mother. He kicked his feet for another moment, chewing on his lip. Why had he been trashing her anyway? “Why was he talking bad about you, Alexis?” Teddy inquired, glancing up. He knew it wasn't really his business. But he was curious.

Alexis fought the urge to roll her eyes, meeting her son's gaze. She couldn't tell him the details, nor would she. It wasn't something that concerned him or that he needed to know. But she could give him a brief explanation, one he would understand. “You know how I sometimes make you do things you don't like? Well, I assigned Paul a task he isn't fond of. I understand why he would be unhappy with me and sometimes when people are unhappy, they say things they don't really mean. I bet he was shocked the three of you overheard him.” She explained, giving the boy a soft smile when understanding filled his eyes. His two friends had been shocked that Teddy had bitten the man as well. She was just glad that the child understood why it was wrong, that she didn't have to explain that to him. But she couldn't let him get away with it either. “Speaking of things you don't like. You owe me fifty lines: 'I will not bite people'. I also want a paragraph on what you could have done differently.“ She added sternly.

Teddy groaned but nodded. It was fair, he supposed. He just didn't like writing lines.

“You may write your lines and paragraph after lunch.” She remarked, standing stiffly and stretching. She had to make an appearance at lunch, after all. She also had a counselor to scold. She would leave it up to Teddy whether or not he apologized for biting the man, since he was old enough to understand what he should do. She was pretty sure he would. She would just ask the counselors to use silencing spells when they wanted to curse her for now on. That would save her the headache of an overprotective preteen lashing out to defend her. She hoped, anyway.

-x-

_“Stop playing with your food.”_

Severus frowned, glancing down the long table to where his partner sat. He met Remus eyes for a brief moment before turning back to observing the children at his table.

Huh. That had been a deliberate attempt on his part and it had worked. They hadn't a chance to experiment with this new method yet. After the events of yesterday, Severus had been too tired and too wound up to even try it with. Remus raised an eyebrow at the younger man, who was clearly ignoring him, before trying once more. “ _Eat. You need to be a good example for the children.”_ He ordered silently, meeting his partner's gaze firmly when the younger man looked at him again.

_“Children will do as they do. One of Alexis' bit someone this morning, and last I heard, Alexis hasn't bitten anyone recently.”_ He snarked back, smirking when the other man choked.

Remus coughed hard, strangling a laugh. People would think he was crazy if he just started laughing at nothing. Only Severus would make such a joke in such a serious tone. Perhaps the dining hall was not the best place for this experiment.

“Remus? You alright son?” Tim questioned, frowning slightly. The younger man had just started coughing out of nowhere and he knew that the man had seemed a bit distracted in their conversation.

“Fine. Just fine.” Remus coughed, taking a slow sip of his water and glaring down toward Severus.

Tim raised an eyebrow, following the man's gaze before it suddenly clicked. Their bond must have finally reached the point. He remembered when that had happened to him and Eric, over twenty years ago now. He wondered if they had gotten to the point of hearing each others every thought yet. Sending messages was the easy part. Controlling how much the other person heard of your thoughts was not. That had been a stressful and painful few weeks for them. He hoped it wouldn't be for the two younger men. They hadn't blood-bonded yet, after all. They might not be able to know everything their partner was thinking or feeling just yet. Merlin, learning to filter the emotions had been taxing as well. He knew, from research, that it didn't happen in every relationship. It only happened in the purest, strongest relationships. But it did happen in every blood-bound couple he knew, to varying degrees of intensity. Perhaps because blood-bonding was the purest form of combining magic and families. And it wasn't something all wizards considered, either. “Do you understand what is happening, Remus?” Tim asked softly, causing the younger man to look at him.

“What?” Remus frowned. He hadn't been paying attention, so he wasn't quite sure if he had missed part of the conversation or if Tim was trying to tell him something, in his own abstract way. He had been glaring at Severus while pretending to survey the students and counselors in his section. The younger man still wasn't eating!

Severus grimaced, feeling a brief flash of stinging pain. He didn't know where it had come from but it had felt, for just a second, like anger. But why was he feeling anger? Anger that wasn't his? And why did it hurt like hell?

“Remus. Look at me.” Tim ordered, glancing down the table for a moment. He had recognized that look on the man's face, he had seen Remus upset and angry many times before, and he had seen Severus flinch. The younger of the two looked confused and the man beside him clearly didn't know what he had just done.

He growled low, glaring at the healer. He was angry and he didn't even know why he felt so angry. Severus wasn't listening to him, but that was nothing new. He took a deep breath, turning fully to see Tim. “What?” He inquired again, raising an eyebrow. Only to be met with a raised eyebrow.

He hesitated for a moment, eyes calculating. The younger man was on edge and this was not the place for such a conversation. He was also sure Remus would not heed him. They had both adopted the younger man, but he knew that the brunette saw Eric as the alpha of his pack. Which did sting sometimes, that he saw Eric as more of his father, but he knew that Remus loved him as well. The way the man was shifting, the agitation... “We need to talk. Come on.” Tim ordered briskly, standing calmly. He moved with ease, exiting the Great Hall casually so as not to draw attention. He wait several moments outside the door, tapping his foot. He would take the child back to their quarters and summon Eric. This was a conversation that would work best if it was the two of them explaining it, instead of just him. After all, he could only explain what was happening to Severus. He had been where Severus was, but Remus was the dominate in that relationship, by magic's choice and Severus'. He knew the younger of the two hadn't thought he could head a family, hadn't wanted that responsibility. It wasn't in Severus' nature. The man was in charge at work, was second only to Alexis here; by magic's rules, he couldn't also hold familial magic. And that would effect how he felt the bond. Just as Remus' wolf nature and natural ability to calm and guide, would cause him to be able to hold familial magic. The bond's effect of Remus was something he couldn't explain, because he hadn't felt it. Eric had, however. Eric was the dominate in their relationship, for reasons he didn't care to think about. Not now, anyway.

Remus furrowed his brow, stepping calmly into the entrance hall. Why on earth Tim wanted to talk to him out here was beyond him. “What, Tim?”

“Attitude.” He scolded automatically, snapping from his own thoughts. “We need to talk, it is important. Our quarters. Go.” He added, biting back a sigh.

Their quarters. Eric's and Tim's. Of course Tim would want to talk there. But he hadn't done anything. Had he? Well, if Tim called Eric, then he would know. But Remus would prefer to know going in whether or not he had actually done something. It had been years since they had “needed to talk”. That wasn't a tone he was used to from Tim, at least, and it was disconcerting. “Am I in trouble?” He asked finally, keeping up with the older man's fast-causal stride. Tim might pretend like everything was normal, but he could tell something was up.

“Not yet.” But he wasn't sure that he wouldn't end up in trouble. It wasn't an easy thing to take in, after all. He remembered quite well how he reacted, and how Eric reacted. It was one of the few times he had seen the older man so shaken. Eric didn't let it show when something bothered or upset him, not often. He could read the man much better after all this years, he could always tell now; but back then that visible sign of his partner being upset had shocked him.

He scowled, stopping just outside the door to Eric and Tim's quarters. The ominous answer was so like Tim and something he hated. He wasn't in trouble, yet. That was so reassuring. Remus bit back a snort, realizing that the sarcastic voice in his head sounded so much like his Severus. He glared at the man who beckoned to him, lounging in the doorway instead.

Tim merely shrugged, touching his finger briefly to the locket he wore under his robes. He resettled the locket, tucking it back into place. If Remus didn't want to enter their quarters, that was fine. He would come in soon enough.

Eric frowned, stepping out of the floo with his hand on his own locket. Tim's message was vague but he could sense that something was wrong. He met Tim's gaze for a long moment before turning his eyes to the doorway. “Come in son and close the door.” He ordered briskly, before turning back to his partner. _“Well?”_

_“It has begun.”_

_“Damn. Are you sure?”_ That was the last thing the young couple needed right now. Trying to raise two hurting children was hard enough; trying to do so while learning a new connection to each other would be so much harder. He had a feeling tempers would be sorely tested and they would be dealing with a melt-down or two.

_“It's hard to miss. He caused Severus pain, Eric. I don't think he even realized that he had done it. From what I could see, I believe it just started recently.”_ Tim replied, flopping carelessly onto the leather couch.

“ _He caused him pain? That's rare. They haven't even finished the bond yet.”_ Eric sighed, watching their son for a long moment. “Have a seat, Remus. We need to talk.” He gestured toward an armchair, settling gracefully next to Tim on the couch

_“Rare it may be, but it happened to us as well.”_

“About what?” Remus inquired, dropping casually onto the armchair. He hadn't done anything to be in trouble for, that he could remember anyway, and there were literally dozens of things they might want to talk about. But there were few that they needed to talk about.

He let the silence stretch for several moments, observing his son calmly. The boy shifted occasionally, restless. “About your new-found abilities with your partner.”

Oh. That. How they found out about it was anyone's guess and he wasn't quite sure why they needed to talk about it, but he was willing to listen. After all, they had been there. Maybe there was something they could tell him that would help their experiment along faster. “Alright.” Remus merely shrugged, sinking back into the leather chair. He loved this furniture but he, unlike Eric, was realistic. Children would quickly destroy leather furniture; at least, that was his limited experience.

They exchanged glances for a moment before Eric turned away from his partner and back to his child. “First, we need to know how far advanced it is. Is this a very recent, sporadic development or a constant connection?”

He frowned, tilting his head for a moment. What he did he mean by advanced? He knew the connection would grow stronger with time, but how much stronger? What would cause them concern? “It started yesterday and it is sporadic. We were planning to experiment with it.” Remus replied finally, arching an eyebrow at Tim's barely suppressed flinch. That was interesting.

Eric gently covered Tim's hand with his own, meeting his son's gaze firmly. “I take it you were trying it out earlier, yes? Have you found yourself feeling something that you couldn't explain?” He inquired, rubbing the tension out of Tim's hand. This wasn't an easy subject for his younger partner. They hadn't had someone to tell them what was happening; they had to learn by experimenting. And it had caused both of them a lot of pain and heartache. One of their biggest fights was caused because of it, actually.

He had felt emotions that were out of the ordinary, hadn't he? Right before Tim had brought him up here, Remus had been upset with Severus and there had been a rush of anger from no where. He didn't know where it had come from, or why, but he was willing to bet Eric knew. “Yes sir.” The hand gesture for him to continue caused him to bite his lip, just for a moment. He wasn't quite sure how to explain it, especially since he didn't understand himself. “I was upset, but it felt like...anger.” He shrugged, staring down at his hands. Which meant he didn't see Tim's reaction. But Eric had sensed it coming on.

Tim grimaced, feeling the hand on his tighten for a brief moment. It was a warning, albeit a silent one. He still understood it. They had to step cautiously here, he knew that, but he also knew what a downhill slide it could be. If someone had told them not to experiment, they probably would have done it anyway. But that didn't mean he couldn't tell the boy would he might accidentally do to his partner. There was no reason for the younger couple to have to suffer through this like they had; they didn't have to struggle through this alone, although they would still have to find their own path, their own connection. It didn't mean they couldn't help. “You were angry, weren't you? Even if it was the tiniest bit of anger, it was there, yes?” He remarked quietly, capturing brown eyes for a moment before the younger man looked away again.

He chewed the inside of the cheek, fiddling with his fingers for a moment. He had been angry, but only for a second. Because he had told Severus time and again about taking care of himself. And now they had children to worry about! The man couldn't just not give a damn about himself. He had tried everything to get Severus to please, just try. But the younger man couldn't, wouldn't. And it was aggravating and irritating and upsetting, and yes, it had made him angry. But why did it matter if he had been angry? It wasn't like they shared emotions. They could just communicate, at least he thought they could. A couple of sentences was really just a trial. It could go away or it could get stronger. He was pretty sure it would be the latter. “Does it matter?” He snapped, glaring at the couple on the couch.

“Attitude.” Eric warned automatically, shaking his head. Anger was always the first emotion to be shared, in his experience and from talking with other couples who experienced the same. Not all blood-bond couples felt each others emotions. Even fewer could harm each other with a thought. “It does matter. Anger is a strong emotion and it travels easily. A bond like yours won't stop at conversations. You will eventually fall into the overwhelming stage of hearing each other's every thoughts, even the ones that were meant to be private. And then the emotion sharing...”

“Anger, sadness, joy, frustration. You will feel them all. And so will he. It's hard at first, but it can be controlled. It's even harder when your emotions or thoughts can harm each other. That takes longer to control.” Tim finished, leaning into his partner for a moment.

“But we don't harm each other. How is that even possible?” It shouldn't be possible but the expression on both of their faces and the pain, hidden in Eric's eyes, told him it was. That the two men in front of him had experienced it and that this wasn't something they liked to talk about. But Remus also understood why they were telling him. They wanted to save him and Severus some of the pain. “If we don't use this method...will it go away?”

“No. It will become worse. And it will hurt. Your bond needs this connection to grow even deeper. Denying it will cause pain. But not to you. You, son, would feel intense loneliness and bitterness, anger even. The denial would hurt you but it would be more of an emotional hurt, more of an ache.” Eric replied firmly. That was not a route the boys would be going down, not if he had anything to say about it. After all, he was not going to let his son repeat his mistakes.

He blinked, frowning at the older man for a moment. “If it only causes an ache to me, wouldn't it be the same for Severus?”

Tim hesitated, chewing his lip for a moment. The child needed to know. He had to know, otherwise...Severus would suffer as he had. And that wasn't acceptable. Not when he could do something about it. “Magic is funny, sometimes, in the way it creates bonds. For magic to be equal, there has to be one party who is more submissive, even if only within the bond, than the other. It doesn't mean one is necessarily weaker than the other or has less magic; usually it is quite the opposite. A couple that is equally matched in power and magic still need roles within a bond. The book on familial magic that talks on how bonds form applies here. While denying the bond will not physically harm you, as the dominate partner, it will harm the more submissive partner. You will feel anger and loneliness, he will feel despair and hopelessness. And it will hurt. The longer the connection is severed, the greater the amount of physically pain he would be in. Yes, with the bond there will be times when you harm each other without meaning to, when you cause each other pain. But that is much better than trying to live without it.” He answered finally, meeting the child's eyes for a long moment.

Of course Tim would leave out one major consequence of ignoring the bond for too long. Although, he knew why. It still hurt the younger man, even over twenty years later. Not physically, but mentally...that was the first time he had forced Tim to see a mind-healer. “It nearly destroyed us and...Tim would have died. The pain, the heartbreak....it was killing him.” Not that he wouldn't have followed soon after by his own hand. He would not have wanted to live in a world without the other man, even as much as he hadn't wanted to cause the other man pain. “That is why we are telling you this. Soon, the connection will be overwhelming, you will feel each others emotions and hear every thought, you might even trade barbs of pain. But you cannot sever the connection, not without destroying yourselves. We can help the two of you learn to control it, learn to make it so you only hear each other when you both want to; where you aren't harming each other and are trying to control both of your emotions. We can help make it easier. But you have to trust us and work with us son. Neither of us wants to see you go down that road.” Eric added quietly.

He sank down into the chair, running his hand over his face. Denying the bond could kill Severus, would destroy them. So even if it hurt sometimes, they couldn't risk breaking it. He couldn't do that. Not to his Severus. It wasn't even fully developed yet but he knew they would have to learn to control it. Remus also knew that they didn't have to do this alone. The two men, both hiding raw emotions, would not let them do it any other way. He knew his dad and papa would catch them when they fell. Someone would have to tell Severus. And then, they could experiment with it, work with how to control it. Between the two of them, they should be able to figure it out. Especially with help. “I think Severus might be more willing to listen if you told him, Tim.” He stated finally, apologetically. It had been years before he had even met Tim but that didn't mean his heart didn't hurt for the pain the older man must have suffered through. He could never do that to Severus. He didn't understand why his father wouldn't have stopped it earlier if he had known how much pain it caused Tim. Unless he hadn't know, because that was so like the other man.

“I will speak with him this afternoon.” Tim nodded briskly, straightening up so that he was no longer leaning on Eric. Talking to Severus would be easier; he knew that the younger of the two would fight it, of course, but he also knew how much Severus wanted this relationship. Explaining the new connection to him would be no hardship. He had been planning to talk to him anyway. Severus wasn't eating; there had to be a reason, no matter how convoluted, for that. “I think it's time for tea.” He added, taking the two nods as acceptance before moving to put on a kettle. Everything seemed a least a little better after a good cup of tea, after all.

-x-

Alexis bit back a grin, watching the two explore the new sensory room. She had decided to show it to Lila after lunch. The child, however, had not wanted to let go of Jake, so the man had offered to go with her. She had even managed to snap a few pictures of Jake and Lila when the man wasn't looking. Now, if only this room would help Kate relax as much as it had Lila. The child still had on the headphones, but she was reaching for ropes and touching surfaces, all from the safety of Jake's hip.

He stopped beside a tunnel, tilting his head to look down it. “I don't think I can fit there, Lila. Why don't you try? I'll be right here.” Jake suggested quietly, smiling down at the blond-haired child.

Lila hesitated for a moment, her grip on him tightening, before she grunted, making her gesture for down. She knew he would understand that one. Up and down were the two gestures the counselors and teachers seemed to learn first, followed by hungry and mad, of course. Maybe that was because she used those the most. She bit her lip when he set her on the ground, her eyes darting up to him for a moment. She took a half step away and looked back at him. He didn't move, so she took another step. Once she was sure he wasn't going anywhere, she crouched, peering into the large tunnel. It was dark and she was big enough to crawl through it. She hesitated for a moment longer, turning to look at the Headmistress. But the woman merely nodded, gesturing for her to go. She put her hand inside the fabric tunnel and then her foot. It took a moment but she grinned, crawling the rest of the way into it. Really, she could crouch in here if she wanted to; it was huge. It was dark and quiet in the tunnel, it felt safe.

“Where does it go?” Jake inquired, glancing back at the two women. Kate stood rigidly beside Alexis and he bit back a sigh. The younger woman really needed to learn to relax a bit. Alexis would not harm her, nor would he or Mary. Mary had been working with her, but Kate was just...Kate. He knew that she was nervous around other adults, but she was amazing with the girls. He would just have to see if he could help her work on that nervousness, that fear.

Kate grimaced, watching the tunnel move as the child clambered through it. Perhaps it needed to be anchored down a bit more. “It intersects another tunnel, one end leads out and the other leads into the ball pit.” Lila had only looked or touched things up until this point. The child had seemed interested by the hammock swing and the jungle gym, had touched the climbing blocks and one of the swinging ropes, but she hadn't wanted to explore on her own. She hoped the girl would find the little pop-up tent that made a quiet area and the sand and beads to run her hands through. There was even a trampoline, as well as several floor pillows and some books. There were lots of the things the child could touch, climb, or swing with. There were places to crawl and lay down. It was the sensory room that every school wanted and few could afford. That's why she loved magic so much. They didn't have to cut corners. She was still a little overwhelmed that she had been the one to design it and not only did Alexis approve of it, but Lila also seemed to like it.

“This is amazing Kate.” Jake remarked finally, waving his hand at the room. He still hadn't left his spot at the entrance of the tunnel. And he wouldn't. Not until the little girl said it was alright. He wanted her to know that she could trust him, could trust them, and even a small promise to not move would help with that.

A head popping out of the top of the shallow ball pit and the accompanying giggle made he genuinely smile. Kate had been right. This room was good for Lila, it might even help some of the other students relax and it would be excellent for play-therapy. Alexis waved back at the child who was waving to them, before diving back down into the ball pit, before running through the list of things she had left to accomplish that day in her head. Jake would have to get back to his boys eventually, or half of them would end up in her office, if for only driving Henry crazy. There was plenty to do still, before the school would be ready for September, before these children would be healthy, but they were making good steps forwards and only small steps back. Her eyes landed on Jake as Lila popped out of the tunnel and demanded to be picked up by a man who couldn't refuse. Not that anyone could deny that child physical comfort. The ten year old girl Jake was holding was smiling; three weeks ago she hadn't wanted anyone but Ariana to touch her, had never smiled, never made a sound. Now, she giggled, as he spun her through the air before settling her back onto his hip. Yes, Hogwarts was healing, even if the scars would always be there. It would just take time.


	31. Rituals

Teddy kicked his feet, making his dragons dance across the blanket, biting his lip. “Hey Bain?”   
  
Bain looked up from the worksheet he was attempting, glancing at the preteen stretched across his bed and then to the one stretched out on the floor. Why his room had become where they went to when Alexis was not around, he didn't know. But he was alright with it. Most of the time. “Yes?”   
  
“May I ask you something?”   
  
He hesitated, setting his pen down. The child could want to know anything and that was an almost horrifying thought. But he was also pretty sure Teddy wouldn't ask him about sex or anything like that. The boy wasn't like that and while his tone sounded serious, he could think of a dozen other questions the child might ask. “Sure but I can't promise I know the answer.” He responded finally, turning fully in his chair to be able to see the youngest boy.   
  
Teddy set the dragon down on the blanket, propping himself up on his elbows. “ Alexis protects us and keeps us safe but who will protect her?”   
He blinked, staring at the younger boy for a long moment. Teddy had told them what had happened in Italy but he hadn't realized it was still upsetting the child. Alexis was an adult but he also knew that she shouldn't have to do everything alone. Wasn't that what she was always telling him? That they weren't alone anymore. So why should she be? He knew he would have to talk to someone, an adult, if only just to make Teddy feel better. “I don't have the answer to that Teddy. But I will make sure she is taken care of, I promise.” Bain replied after a long silence.   
  
“Maybe we could teach you some basic shield charms, Teddy, in the mean time?” Elijah suggested, meeting Bain's eyes for a moment. He heard the fear in the younger boy's voice and he knew that while Alexis could protect herself, it might make Teddy feel better.  
  
Teddy nodded seriously, glancing between the two older boys before returning to his dragons. He knew that his older 'brothers' would help and that was a load off of his small shoulders. Alexis had said they weren't alone anymore and she was right, they had each other.   
  
-x-  
  
Alexis didn't look up from the paper she was reading, gesturing for the person who had just entered her office to sit. “The answer is still no.” She remarked finally, setting the paper aside for the moment. She glanced at the stacks of papers left for her to read and bit back a sigh. She had so much work left to do before school started back and it was almost August. And she still had to make time to get her son to a birthday party that evening. Not to mention deal with the unhappy staff member in front of her.   
  
“I don't see how it is any of your concern. I am adult Alexis and I can make my own choices.” Paul argued, frowning at the woman. He wasn't much younger than her and still she treated him like he was an impulsive teenager!   
  
She ran a hand over her forehead, tilting her head slightly. “We have had this discussion. The answer will not change. Now, was there anything else I could help you with?” She responded coolly, raising an eyebrow when the younger man glowered at her. Did he really think that would work? She was a mind-healer for teenagers as well; that look, the pouting, had no power over her.  
  
Paul snorted, tapping his foot for a moment. She was being unreasonable! She hadn't even given him a real reason. She had just shot his idea down. “Why?”   
  
She closed her eyes for a moment, giving a slight shake of her head. Her twenty-three year old mind-healer was whining. She had enough teenaged drama to deal with; this was why most places hired older staff. But these young adults were the best at what they did, even if the eclectic group of individuals each came with their own set of problems. “Drunk and disorderly conduct, apparating while impaired, fired for showing up drunk more often than not, drunk and disorderly conduct, flying while impaired, drunk and disorderly conduct, resisting arrest...Need I continue? You are not the only staff member who has a problem with alcohol but you have by far the most interesting arrest record for being intoxicated. There will be no drinking during staff meetings, while on duty, or anywhere in the castle except for private quarters. Even that is limited to certain members of staff. Is that a clear enough explanation?”   
  
He blinked, freezing for a moment. She knew about all of that? But she hired him! Why would she hire him if she thought he had a problem with alcohol? He didn't have a problem. He just tended to over indulge...often, but it made him feel better. Oh fine, he was a mind-healer. He knew he had a problem. But it wasn't a problem problem. Not really. “You know? But why..?”   
  
“Why did I hire you? According to your Master, you've been sober for a year. You are great with teenagers and you have a passion for them. You make a fine mind-healer, when you are sober, and to be frank, you need this job. But I cannot have you drinking, even if the rest of the staff does have one glass off duty to calm their nerves. You don't have limits Paul. And these children...if they see you drunk, think of how they might feel. How many of them come from homes where alcohol brought violence? You don't want them to fear you, do you? I know it is stressful, this job, and I know the drinking 'helps', but does it really help? Does it really make things better?” She replied quietly, leaning forward. And it was true, she hired him because he was good at what he did. Everyone deserved a second chance; Merlin knows she had needed one.   
  
He lowered his head, staring at the edge of her desk for a long moment. She was right and he knew it. Drinking didn't really make it better, not in the long run, and he was just getting some of the children to trust him. He didn't want to lose that trust because of a slip up. So why give himself the temptation? It did make more sense now about why the Elves always refused his requests for a drink. They probably were just following orders. “I understand, Alexis. I apologize.”   
  
She nodded her acceptance, studying him for a moment. There was something else that brought him here, she just wasn't sure what it was. “Is there something else you wanted to discuss Paul?” She invited calmly, raising an eyebrow when he refused to look at her.  
  
Paul hesitated, focusing on his hands for several minutes before finally looking up at her. “I'm concerned about one of your children.” He stated finally. That was the real reason for his visit after all. He had known, deep down, that he would get no where with the alcohol argument.   
  
She blinked, staring at him for a moment. One of her children? If he meant her wards, that number grew by the week as she terminated parental rights. Honestly, all of Hogwarts children were hers. But she had a feeling that wasn't what he meant. “Who?”  
  
He sighed, leaning forward and rubbing his chin. “Elijah.”  
  
She frowned, running the child's recent behaviors through her mind. Elijah wasn't the child she had thought he meant. Teddy or Bain, perhaps, but Elijah? “Alright...what about Elijah has you concerned?” She questioned finally, leaning forward slightly.   
  
He hesitated for a moment long, tapping long fingers on his knees. There really was not an easy way to put it. She knew the boy had a temper but he had noticed something...strange. “He has a few odd bruises on his forearm. Besides that, the child is dark, Alexis. Completely dark. I've seen that before and I see it in other children here, but usually they eventually emerge from the dark. Elijah isn't. He's sinking deeper into it.” He replied finally, shaking his head. The boy was hiding so well, he couldn't find even the trace of emotion in his conversations with the child.  
  
Alexis bit her lip, smoothing a hand through her hair for a moment. That wasn't...unexpected, actually. Well, the bruises were and she would be getting an explanation for those soon. But she had noticed that the child was closed off. For she knew exactly what Paul meant. He didn't mean that Elijah used 'dark' magic; he meant that the boy was emotionally distant, that he locked everything inside. But the boy wasn't completely dark, that was just the facade he showed outside her walls. “I didn't know about the bruises. Honestly, he is probably fighting again. He isn't completely dark, Paul. He just doesn't let it show to anyone else. He also has a keen sense of right and wrong. I am working on my boys, on getting those masks off, but you know the process. Thank you for informing me.” She responded quietly, watching the younger man shift restlessly. She understood what he was afraid of, but he didn't know that she was watching all of the children, not just hers, for signs. Or that she had someone on staff for that very purpose. And the wards against suicide were up and steady. She could not prevent the feelings of hopelessness but she could take steps to remedy them and that was what she was doing. She would not watch her students go through that they could prevent it and they would.  
  
-x-  
  
Alexis rubbed her forehead, fighting another headache, and glanced at the light over her door. Student, then. Severus had finally offered to take Teddy to the Malfoys for her and, although she wasn't so keen on letting him go alone, she trusted Lucius and Cissa with her life and that of her children. Besides, he wasn't exactly alone. Remus was going to stay with the children, she just had wanted to take her son herself. But work...got away from her. And now there was yet another student at her door. She sent up a silent prayer that this one hadn't been fighting and waved her hand at the door. She raised an eyebrow at the teenage boy who stepped in, assessing him quickly. No new injuries and no obvious anger. “Isaac, come in. Sit.” She gestured to a chair, watching the child's slight limp for a moment. Eric had cleared him from the crutches and they had switched the cast out, but his leg was still healing and still weak. So why had he walked all the way up there, instead of flooing? “What can I do for you?”  
  
Isaac observed the woman for a long moment, rigidly still. He knew she wouldn't laugh at him nor give him the look Henry had. He would have asked Jake but the older man had been busy separating the twins and he wouldn't have told Henry at all if the man hadn't inquired about his drawing. “I wanted to do a ritual but Henry told me I had to ask you first.” He mumbled finally, meeting her eyes for a moment.   
  
“Oh?” She inquired causally, leaning back slightly. A ritual? Personal rituals were fine but if Henry had sent him to her, then it wasn't a simple ritual. It also must be something the child was planning for very soon, otherwise she was sure Henry would have informed her at their meeting the next night.   
  
“It's just a simple ritual, Headmistress. I thought you said magic like that was acceptable now.” He responded, shrugging. He still stayed motionless, keeping his gaze locked slightly to the left of hers. He wasn't lying, not really. It was a simple ritual. Mostly.   
  
She doubted that. If it had been simple, the child would not need to ask her permission. “What type of ritual were you hoping to perform, Isaac?” She raised an eyebrow at the boy, frowning at the fleeting flash of anger in his eyes. She had to tread carefully here, then.   
  
She would say no, he just knew it. He fidgeted finally, chewing on his lower lip. It wasn't dangerous and it was exceedingly personal but she would say no if he told her the truth. “It's just a ritual.” He grumbled finally, not meeting her eyes.   
  
“I see. It that case, no you may not perform 'just a ritual'. I am here to help you, Isaac. Be honest with me, I might surprise you.. “ She replied nonchalantly, ignoring his tone for the moment. If he was trying to hide it from her then it was important to him. But she couldn't help him if he didn't talk to her.   
  
He tapped his fingers on his leg, biting the inside of his cheek for a moment. “ I want to do a sky-clad ritual.” He blurted out finally, dropping his eyes to the floor.   
  
Ah. That made sense then. “What is your offering?” She asked quietly, biting back a smirk when the child blushed. Boys always seemed to blush when asked that. It wasn't like she hadn't heard everything possible before.   
  
Isaac grimaced, of course she would ask that. It was only the most embarrassing question in the world. What bit of himself was he offering to the gods? Ick. Henry hadn't asked. He had just said that perhaps he should clear it with Alexis first. That was why he was here. He wanted to do this ritual; he needed to do this ritual. “Hair. And an apple.” He answered finally, glancing up to meet warm gray eyes.   
  
“Burned or cut?”   
  
“Burned.” He shrugged, raising an eyebrow of his own. He didn't know that cutting the offering would work. But he wanted to keep it traditional.   
A purification ritual, the only sky-clad ritual that he should be even thinking about doing, wasn't something she could deny if he wasn't planning to harm himself for the ritual. But he also would not be performing the ritual unsupervised, as so much could go wrong. Alexis also understood Henry's concern. She had hired the older man for a reason, one that most of the staff didn't even know. She wasn't sure what they thought of her weekly meetings with him, although she also had set aside time to meet with Jake and Mary every week as well. She knew most of the staff wondered why she kept him around if the older teens didn't respect him and the younger ones didn't like him. But Henry was excellent at what he did. And while she had told him that she hoped they never actually needed his specialty, which he had seconded, she had offered him a position for the school year. For as long as he wanted. The man didn't spend so much time trying to work with Derek because he liked the bully, although she knew he was growing to like the softer side of Derek, but rather he was working on keeping the bully off the ledge that he kept edging closer and closer to. Derek's counselors wouldn't notice until he was standing on that ledge but Henry had spent nearly two decades learning to read people. It was his job to step in before the ledge even became part of the picture. And he wasn't just there for the students either. He was there for the staff as well. Granted they didn't know that or they would be more guarded around him, which would defeat the purpose. Henry noticed when something was wrong, or off, or just felt weird, with anyone at the school. She knew that was why he had paid attention to Isaac tonight. The boy must have been throwing off some sign that all was not well. A purification ritual was not something done lightly but she knew better than to attempt to stop it. If he felt the need to purify his body, mind, or magic, she would not get in his way. But he would do it safely, in the courtyard she was designing for rituals, and under supervision of someone who understood the ritual. Which narrowed her list greatly. She could supervise him but she knew that might make the child uncomfortable and needlessly embarrass him. After all, she was mortified the first time Tim insisted on observing her sky-clad ritual. “You may perform the ritual but it will be under supervision.”  
  
Isaac grimaced, chewing on his lip for a moment. He hoped to the gods that it wouldn't be her supervising. He liked the Headmistress, but she was a woman! And he wasn't. And that would just feel so weird. “Who?” He grumbled finally, glancing up to see the crinkle of humour in her eyes.   
  
“You have a choice. Tim, Eric, or Severus are able to supervise and they will not interfere unless it is necessary.” She responded, fighting the urge to grin at the child. She understood his discomfort but she also knew he would feel more comfortable with one of the men than her, even if it still was awkward, and he had to have supervision.   
  
“Eric.” He answer automatically, not even having to think about it. While he trusted Severus, he knew the older man had his hands full with the 'twins' and Tim was too much in his head. Eric was nice though and he knew the oldest man would not judge his scars.   
  
She nodded, allowing her smile to show this time. “He supervised one of my sky-clad rituals once, many moons ago. He will remove your cast for the ritual if you ask him. I will send him a note” She remarked quietly, watching the child relax for a moment before he nodded and stood. She gave a final dismissal nod and sighed, rubbing her head after he had exited her office. So much work to do and not enough time.  
  
-x-  
  
Harry growled, frowning at the other boy. Why he was even there, he didn't know. Ron didn't even like Neville, or anyone else at the birthday party. And Neville had seemed surprised when the other boy had shown up; so had the Malfoys. It was clear to him that none of the other kids wanted Ron around and he didn't really either. Ron kept giving him dirty looks because he was hanging out with Teddy and Karrie. But they were his friends and Ron, well....Ron used to be. He turned away from Ron, glancing at his sister. She met his eyes, tilting her head toward Neville. He nodded, moving toward the brown-haired boy. Neville was so overwhelmed. He had finally just slipped into the nearest corner and was watching the party from there. That's where Teddy and Draco were, trying to talk Neville out of the corner.   
  
Karrie sighed, slipping past the boys to touch Neville's arm. “Come on. Let's get out of here.” She murmured gently, catching his hand with hers and squeezing it. She knew Neville didn't like crowds. And while it was a small party, only a little bit bigger than Teddy's, she could feel how overwhelmed he was. He wasn't used to this. But she also knew where he would relax. She just had to get him out to the gardens first. Just not near his birthday present from the Malfoys or they wouldn't see him for the rest of the party. She was glad someone cared enough about Neville to allow him to pursue his interests.   
  
Neville hesitated for a moment before nodding and allowing the girl to lead him away from the safety of the corner. He hadn't really wanted a party. Just a couple of his close friends, and that was what was there. Well, and a few of the other manor kids and a couple of kids that he wasn't sure why they were there. It wasn't a very large party but he didn't really like the attention. Attention was bad. He inhaled deeply as they stepped out into the gardens and his body slowly relaxed. He was surrounded by plants and night creatures. He was safe.   
  
Karrie squeezed Neville's hand once more before letting go. She could feel his body relaxing, his mind calming. She knew it would help. Being surrounded by nature always help Neville. “We could bring the party out here.” She remarked after a moment, turning to the blond haired boy. Draco merely nodded, slipping back inside through the patio doors. He returned a moment later with the rest of their friends.   
  
Harry dropped onto the grass, stretching his legs out in front of him. He grinned as Teddy settled like a cat beside him and Karrie coaxed Neville to settle on the grass as well. Blaise wrinkled his nose, disappearing back inside for a moment before returning with a blanket. He smoothed the blanket out over the ground before sitting down, making room for some of the girls. Millie settled as far away from his sister as possible, pulling Daphne with her. The two girls still weren't talking and he just didn't get it. He knew Karrie had told someone that Millie had been hurt and although he wouldn't had liked it either, he wouldn't have stopped speaking to her. And now Karrie was mad at Millie. Girls were weird. Not that he would tell his sister that of course.

-x-

Lucius stepped out onto the patio, letting a small smile grace his lips for a brief moment. The sight in front of his was adorable and heart warming. The children laid on the grass in a loose circle eyes on the stars above them. Although he couldn't quite hear what they were saying, he did hear the laughter and he watched as small hands pointed out constellations. So this is what they were up to. He had known that the group had went outside, Draco had informed him of that, but he had figured they were just playing outside or talking away from the rest of the children. Children that had now gone home or had been sent to clean up for the night. They had hoped that after a couple of weeks, Neville would start to relax in their home. Three weeks and the child was as tense and frightened as ever. The smile on the birthday boy's face was only the second one he had seen since the child had come to them. The first had been that morning, when he and Narcissa had taken him out to the gardens and shown him the green house that they had gotten for his birthday. It was in their own interest of course, or at least that's what they had told the child who had looked ready to cry. The boy hadn't even believed it was for him at first and he hadn't wanted to leave the greenhouse to join his own party. He could understand that, however. Lucius observed the children for a moment longer, before striding over to their little circle. “Children, it is time to come in for the night. It is also time to say goodbye. Daphne, Harry, Karrie, and Teddy need to return home.” He remarked quietly. He forced down a chuckle at the puppy dog eyes that were sent his way. “You will see them tomorrow evening.”  
  
Teddy groaned, sitting up and glancing at the older man for a moment. “Happy Birthday Neville.” He whispered, touching the boy's arm for the briefest of seconds. The other boy met his eyes for a long moment before nodding. He stood, holding a hand out to Karrie, who grabbed hold of Harry's hand and dragged him to his feet as well. Harry and Draco could talk comics all day if they were left to it.  
  
Karrie took Neville's hand, helping him to his feet. She gently brushed a finger across his cheek, smiling when he didn't pull away. “Don't let them be mean to you.” She ordered softly, finally stepping back to join her brother and friend.   
  
“Only if you stop being mean to yourself.” Neville retorted, equally soft. The girl didn't think they knew, but they knew. There weren't many secrets in their group of friends. How could there be, since half of them lived at the Manor and the other half lived at the school, and they wrote to each other constantly. Her slight nod was his only answer, but it was the only one he needed. He'd see them again tomorrow and then two days later for Karrie's birthday. Really, if the Malfoy's and Severus and Remus were smart, they'd just combine the three of their birthdays, instead of having three parties with the same group of kids over a period of four days. But adults, man. They never did what you expected.   
  
-x-  
  
Eric tilted his head, standing as close to the edge of the circle as possible while still observing the young man. The walk to the courtyard had been silent; even when he had helped the child set up a circle to keep all magic cast within, the boy hadn't spoken to him. He knew that supervised rituals could feel embarrassing but they weren't meant to be. He had supervised many apprentices, as well as Remus and Alexis, during rituals like these. This ritual was not something done lightly nor was it simple enough that nothing could go wrong. A lot of things could go wrong and that's why he was there, to help if there was a need.   
  
Isaac hesitated for a moment, glancing at the older man. He knew that he shouldn't be nervous or embarrassed but he was. It wasn't his first ritual but it was his first sky-clad ritual and doing that in front of someone else was uncomfortable. It didn't matter that the older man was a healer and had probably seen everything possible before, it was still a bit embarrassing. He finally shrugged, taking a deep breath and letting the cool air calm him. He was here to do a ritual, not to worry about what he looked like doing that ritual. He needed this ritual. He took another deep breath, centering himself and moving to the mid point inside the circle. He striped clumsily, banishing away his clothes with a twitch of his wand. He then handed his wand to Eric, knowing that the older man would keep it safe for him. He didn't need it for this. This was a different type of magic, it didn't need to be channeled in the same manner. He closed his eyes, feeling the breeze brush his skin. He could do this. “With Wind, Fire, Air, and Earth, I call thee here to me.” He knelt, picking up the apple he had set out. He bowed his head for a moment, silently calling the energy into himself. “This I offer to start this rite.” He murmured, touching his fore finger to the apple, feeling the magic surround him as it started to burn. He set it down on the patch of dirt, knowing the flames would burn themselves out.   
  
Eric shifted subtly, eyes intent on the ritual that the child was performing. Performing well, at that. There was no hesitation in the child's movements, no fear. This boy was sure of his movements, of his actions, and was calm enough to handle even the toughest part of this specific ritual. Many younger wizards had trouble with the final piece of the ritual, of offering part of one's self to the gods. But not Isaac, who had picked up the ritual dagger that Alexis has loaned for his use and confidently cut off a lock of his hair, before touching a steady hand to it. The hair caught and burned, and Eric leaned forward, frowning when the child did not set it down. But he would not intervene, not yet.  
  
Isaac fought down a grimace, offering his palm out with the hair still burning on it. It seemed like a good idea in theory. “I offer this bit of me to you, Lord and Lady. Cleanse my mind, my heart, my body. Remove the stain and make me whole again. If it is thy will, so mote it be! Bless it be.” He murmured, watching as the ashes flew out of his hand and away. He felt the magic fill him, the warmth of it trickle through his bones. He took a deep breath, letting it flow through his body for a long moment, letting the magic cleanse away his imperfections, before pushing it into the ground, so that the negative energy didn't escape. His body sagged with the release of the magic and he shivered for the first time that night, realizing suddenly that he was naked. Isaac blushed, flinching when a cloak was wrapped around his shoulders. He heard the older man move away, to take down the circle and ground the remaining magic. He hugged his arms against his chest, pulling the cloak tightly around himself.   
  
Eric dismissed the magic, thanking it silently, before returning to the boy. He offered him his summoned clothes, turning to give the child a bit of privacy to redress. He understood teenagers enough to realize that even the illusion of privacy was welcomed.   
  
Isaac dressed quickly, numb fingers struggling to match buttons. He finally got his clothes righted, pulling the cloak back around himself, fighting the urge to shiver. The loss of the warm feeling of magic made his veins run cold. He knew he wasn't really empty, that the magic was still there, but it always felt like a bit of a loss after each ritual. It was a good kind of empty, but it also felt sad sometimes. “Okay.” He murmured finally, pocketing his wand.   
  
“Don't you have a wand holster child?” Eric inquired, turning around and raising an eyebrow at the child. He frowned when the child shivered again. He had wanted to check the child's hand immediately, but he could wait a few moments. It was past time to get the boy inside. He placed a gentle hand on the teenager's shoulder, ignoring the flinch for the moment and steering him back inside the castle.   
  
Isaac grimaced for a moment, letting his eyes adjust to the light of the hallway for a moment before turning toward the older man. “Thanks Eric.” He whispered, stepping back so that he could slip away.   
  
“Hold on a moment, Isaac. Let me look at that hand please.” Eric requested quietly, gesturing for the child to come back toward him. It only took a few moments before the child stepped toward him and offered his palm out. He gently took the boy's hand in his own, eyeing the burn mark with a small sigh. It wasn't as bad as it could be but he knew it was painful. What was concerning to him was that the teenager had held onto the burning offering until it was nothing but ash. He removed a salve from his robe pocket, gently rubbing it over his burn. “Why don't you come back to mine and Tim's quarters and have tea. It will help.” He suggested, catching the boy's eyes and holding them for a long moment until the boy looked away.  
  
“I don't want to impose.” Isaac looked down, tracing the cracks in the floor with his eyes. Tea sounded nice. He didn't really want to be alone, but he was so used to being alone. Alone was familiar, comfortable, normal.   
  
Eric shook his head, giving the child a sad smile. He had heard those words too many times before. “Nonsense child. You would not be imposing. I wouldn't have invited you if I didn't want you there. Come. A hot cup of tea will make you feel better. I'm sure there are even biscuits that you would enjoy.” He responded firmly, slowly and carefully resting a hand on the boy's shoulder. Isaac flinched but Eric ignored it, using his other hand to place a finger under the child's chin and move it up until the boy was looking at him.   
  
Isaac hesitated, meeting warm, welcoming brown eyes. He knew, instinctively, that the taller man with skin darker than his own would not harm him. On the contrary, he had this feeling that Eric would do everything possible to protect him. He wanted to, he really did. He just wasn't used to this. Used to people carrying. And he didn't know how to talk to adults, not really. He wasn't good with adults, he tended to say the wrong thing or shut down completely around them. But he didn't want to be alone either, not with this empty feeling, not now. Isaac took a deep breath, finally giving a small nod. The smile that broke out on the older man's face was confusing but comforting. He wasn't quite sure why all the adults here became ecstatic when he agreed to something or spoke to him. But he was coming to find that he liked making them happy.   
-x-


	32. Magic Knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it has been a while. Italics are either silent conversations or thoughts.Italics inside -- is sign language, although it is format more like spoken English to make it easier to read. I had someone ask about my one-shots for this series and I'm working on one of them now. Slowly. Grad school, ya'll.

Harry tied his trainers, glancing over at his friend. Teddy didn't usually sleep at the camp anymore but he had spent last night there, all three of them had. The other boy was half asleep, tugging a blue shirt over his head. The other boys in their cabin were slowly dressing, with loud yawns. He was excited for some reason he couldn't name. It was his birthday and he had never had a good birthday. But this year, this year just seemed different. Two of the boys in his bunk, the ones who actually liked mornings, had already wished him a happy birthday. No one had ever done that before. Sure, his friends had sent cards but no one had ever said those words to him before. He liked it.  
  
-x-  
  
“Our quarters feel empty.” Remus remarked quietly, Severus entwined in his arms. It was too quiet in their quarters this morning. The children had opted to sleep at the cabins and while the time alone was welcoming, the silence was not. He liked having the children around; the noisy chaos of their quarters was music to his ears.  
  
Severus snorted softly, rolling over to face his partner, still snug in his arms. “It won't remain that way for long, I assure you.” He drawled, smirking at the other man for a moment. And it wouldn't. The children were bound to show up at some point during the day, they always did, as well as Bain would be there to work on potions. He had a lot of brewing still left before school started back; thank the gods for an apprentice. He didn't know where he would have found the time this year, other wise.  
  
Remus soaked up the companionship of his partner for several minutes in silence, before sighing softly. “Severus, we need to talk about it.” He murmured finally.  
  
“If we must.”  
  
“Severus...” Remus frowned, staring into dark eyes for a long moment. _“Severus?”_  
  
“Don't.”  
  
He bit his lip, venturing forward again. _“Please, can we just talk?”_  
  
“Why?” He pulled away, folding his arms across his chest. It was hard to look intimating laying down and this was Remus after all; the older man wasn't intimated by him, not anymore, not for years.  
  
“It is necessary that we discuss this.”  
  
“I'm listening.”  
  
Remus shook his head, touching the other man's arm. Hurt showed, briefly, in his eyes when he pulled away. “No you're not. You are not listening.” _“You never listen.”_  
  
He hid a grimace, trying to ignore the hurt radiating off of his partner. But it was difficult. Feeling what Remus felt, feeling what his words and silence caused was difficult. And he hated this. He hated not having that control, being at the mercy of someone elses feelings. It was like empathy gone wrong. “ _I do listen. But we do not need to discuss it. I love you. That is all that matters.”_ This ability was not necessarily a burden as much as a new challenge. Speaking mind to mind had its benefits and its downsides. The main one being that whenever they spoke this way, they could feel the emotion attached to the words. Tim had explained what was happening to him, what would happen if he tried to ignore it for too long, the damage it could cause Remus. And himself. Tim has also explained how it would develop, his best guess anyway. Every blood-bonded couple was different and their bond was not finished yet. He wasn't fond of change and he knew that even if he could control his temper now, his mind wasn't always a calm ocean. Sometimes he was a raging storm inside and he didn't want Remus to have to feel that. Not that the other man didn't know him intimately, didn't already know when he was seething or hurting inside.  
  
He sighed softly, holding onyx eyes with warm brown. Severus was right of course, their love was what really matter. He just wanted to know what Severus really thought about this, not just the brief thoughts the man sent him or that drifted past his shields. _“Alright. You would tell me if it bother you, yes? Or if I hurt you?”_ Remus pressed, needing to know if his partner really would tell him. He almost doubted it. Severus was good at pretending that everything was okay, even after years together the younger man tried to hide certain injuries or emotions, out of of habit.  
  
Severus closed his eyes for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose. Of course Remus would ask that. And while he would say practically anything to get him to drop it, they didn't lie to each other. _“I can make no promises. But I will try.”_ He responded finally, touching his partner's arm for a moment. “I believe we need to get up as Alexis might miss us at breakfast.” He added quietly, although he stayed where he was, relaxing into the warm bed.  
  
Remus snorted, leaning forward slowly and kissing the other man before pushing himself up. “As if Alexis would notice anything before her third cup of coffee.” He drawled, stretching and moving toward their bathroom. He did still have a thirteen year old's birthday party to set up and children to wrangle after all.  
  
-x-  
  
Jake bit back the urge to groan, gazing around the camp quarters for a long moment. His boys always seemed to get a bit rowdy right after lunch but never this bad. The younger kids were having quiet rest and play time in their cabins. His boys were suppose to be studying and finishing up summer work. Instead, he had solved three arguments and stopped two fights. “Marko do not hit!” He ordered briskly, shaking his head at the boy. The teenagers needed something productive to do or he was going to go crazy. Two of his were in sessions and while that helped, it didn't help that Henry had just left for a meeting. The girls group was at some activity, so he couldn't even ask Mary, and Kate was staring at his boys like she was afraid of them. Which she might be, to be honest.  
  
“I'm not Marko!” The boy protested, glaring at him.  
  
He raised an eyebrow, gazing at the blond-haired teenager for a moment. The twins had turned fourteen last week and were currently back to talking to each other. The two boys fought constantly, but he could understand why. He did know for a fact that the child in front of him was Marko and not Milo. “Oh? Last I checked, Milo was in a session with Paul. Now, unless you switched places, which I highly doubt, you are Marko. “ He drawled calmly, keeping the fact the he could actually tell the twins apart to himself.  
  
Marko scowled, but didn't argue. There wasn't much he could say to that. If he lied, they get in trouble for switching places. If he didn't, he'd have a strike. Which he didn't want. He was almost out of strikes for the day and he didn't want to spend the weekend grounded. That would be boring.  
  
Jake sighed, gazing around the room once more. Gods, it was a mess! Such a mess. His boys had helped make it that way of course. And they did need an activity after all. “Alright! So here is what we are going to do. Since none of you want to study or play quietly, we're going to clean this room. All of us. Together.” He called out firmly, ignoring the groans and mumbled words. He met the gaze of each young man in turn until the teens started moving. He just hoped it didn't end up being more of a disaster than it was before.  
  
-x-  
  
“Henry. You're late.” Alexis remarked, not looking up from the paper she was reading.  
  
Henry shrugged, dropping into his usual chair with ease. “I would apologize, however a young Headmistress has informed the staff that the children do come first.” He responded, pleased at the half smile he had caused. Their conversations were often so serious that it was good to see the younger woman smile.  
  
She finished with the paper, setting it down and turning her eyes on him. “Derek?” She inquired, sighing when that man nodded. What had the child done this time?  
  
“He sought me out, Alexis. He finally trusts me enough to come to me. I wasn't going to turn him away.” The boy had never sought him out before, it was something he wanted to encourage. The more the child opened up to him, the more he could help.  
  
Grey eyes blinked as she raised an eyebrow. “He came to you?” Alexis repeated quietly, making a mental note of that. The young bully was changing; even if the changes were slight, they were still there.  
  
“He did. But Derek is not at the top of my list today. I am working with him, trying to change the way of thinking that has been forced upon him. Only time will tell what will happen there. There are others who I am concerned about.” Henry replied, green eyes watching as she found a certain sheet of parchment. It always went this way. He listed names first, she wrote them down, and then they discussed them.  
  
“Who?”  
  
“Of the students? Issac, Rose, Daniel, Robert, Emma, and Louis.” He could have named half of the older students and she wouldn't have so much as blinked. But now she stared at him and he understood why.  
  
“Emma and Louis?” She questioned, furrowing her brows. She didn't doubt him, she knew better than to do so. Even if he was wrong, it was better safe than sorry. But Emma was twelve. And Louis was an incoming first year. A first year. He was seeing signs of suicide in a first year. An eleven year old boy. Of course, she knew she shouldn't be shocked as she had seen those signs in patients that age and younger before, but so rarely. And this was one of her students! She ran through what she knew of the two younger children in her mind for a moment, frowning in thought.  
  
Louis has just arrived a few days before and despite the tantrums and the protests that he didn't belong there, he could see it in the child. The boy wasn't in danger yet but he could quickly become that way without help. And soon. “You hired me for my abilities to see what others refused and since I can get closer to these children, although I spend much less time with the young ones, you knew I might find some of the younger ones. Louis is tricky. While the abuse he suffered wasn't as horrific as some of the other students, he was still clearly abused and, like many of the children, he denies it. But his eyes are dead, Alexis. That child does not know happiness. I have also heard him 'joke' to some of the boys in his bunk that he would be better off dead. And while the boys tried to dissuade him from that line of talking, they are all pre-teens themselves. I am worried that with the right push, the child could easily become suicidal or violent. Emma, on the other hand, is not tricky. The child was severely sexually abused, she believes herself to be worthless. According to some of the older teenage girls, who have tried to convince her that she isn't her abuse, her abuser once told her that she was 'only good for a fuck and if she couldn't be fucked, she better be dead'. It is easy to see her depression if you look hard enough.” Henry detailed, observing the emotions that flitted across her face. It wasn't just suicidal behaviour that he looked for; he had been trained to spot even the most hidden aspect of an individual, including negative thinking, behaviours, and patterns. If he looked too hard, he could find it in every child, and many adults, currently at the Castle. But his job was to focus on the ones that might become threats and he did his job well. In all his years, he had only lost three individuals to suicide.  
  
Honestly, she could have figured Emma out herself. She had noticed how hard it was for the child to adjust, although all of the children had trouble adjusting to change as drastic as being removed from their homes. She made a quick note on her parchment before looking at him again. “Anyone else?”  
  
“No. I had a quiet word with Jake and he is working on getting Charlie more comfortable with him and you have an eye on Kate. I did speak to my contact at the Childrens Research Institute. There is a doctor there, a reputable one, who is the brother of a mundane-born healer. He is willing to assess Lila and any other student who shows similar signs.” He responded quietly, offering her a sheet of parchment with the man's information on it. He knew that all of the healers had been digging through their contacts, trying to find someone from the non-magical world who could assess Lila for autism. Usually, mundane-borns with autism were assessed at primary school and went to any of the magical schools with a plan already in place. Lila was different. There were no primary records for Lila, no one had ever even thought to do an assessment. Which made helping the child all the more difficult.  
  
She nodded, scanning the information for a moment. She would be contacting this doctor soon. “Alright, tell me about Robert.” Alexis requested, leaning back to listen. It would be a long day.  
  
-x-  
  
Eric paused at the doorway to the room he had left Mia in, listening for a moment.  
  
“You are my age, right? It's okay if you can't talk. Do you sign? My parents taught me when I was younger, I couldn't talk either. After my accident.” Mia followed the jittery, smaller girl with her eyes, her hand griping the rest on her wheelchair. The headmistress had said that they were working on a magical wheelchair for her, in case her parents let her come to school. She wanted to come to school, so badly.  
  
Lila tugged on her hair, eyes darting from the other girl to the wheelchair to the door to the girl's red hair. She finally nodded, her hands forming quick, decisive movements.   
  
- _What name? I Lila. You hurt bad_?-  
  
“My name is Mia, I'm eleven. And I'm not hurt. Well I am hurt but its an old hurt. I was in a bad accident when I was little. A car hit me and I can't walk anymore. I used to not be able to talk or move at all, but I got better.” Mia shrugged, tilting her head slightly at the next onslaught of questions. “Slowly, please. I'm out of practice.”  
  
_-Is Alexis fixing legs? Are you coming school? Do you have parents?_ \- She hesitated, bouncing in place for a moment, hands twitching.  
  
“I want to come to school but I'm not sure my parents will let me. Of course I have parents. Don't you? The healers are trying but they said it might not work. They tingle though, my legs. They haven't tingled like this before.” She replied, watching the little blond. The smaller girl couldn't really be her age, could see? She knew she was smaller than average because she was in the chair, but the other girl was even smaller than her! And why would she ask if she had parents?  
  
_-No. No parents. No parents. No parents!-_ Lila screeched, covering her ears and rocking hard.  
  
“Are you okay? What's wrong?” Mia leaned forward, trying to reach out to the girl. Did she say something bad?  
  
Eric moved quickly into the room, bee-lining toward Lila. He knew a meltdown when he saw one, after all. He lifted the little girl up, swinging her gently onto his hip and ignoring the hands and feet that started hitting him and the almost inhuman screams that came from the child. “It's alright Lila, it is alright. Shh, I got you child.” He murmured soothingly, rubbing a hand over the girl's back. He turned brown eyes to the little red head and gave her a reassuring nod. Mia looked terrified and he could understand why. “She's alright, Mia.” He added softly, keeping his tone gentle and calm. The child in his arms was slowly starting to calm back down.  
  
“I'm sorry Eric! I don't know what happened. We were just talking and she just...I'm sorry!” Mia gasped, meeting his eyes for a moment before looking at her new friend.  
  
“It is not your fault. These things happen, Mia. Sometimes people get upset and they react in ways that we don't understand. Lila cannot verbalize her feelings and that makes her react differently when she is upset or scared. Her reactions aren't wrong, just different. Now what's this I heard about a tingle in your legs?” Eric finally stopped pacing, a small head resting on his shoulder and an arm around his neck. Thankfully, this hadn't been a full blown meltdown or tantrum. While he knew he could handle two preteen girls during a serious meltdown, it wouldn't be ideal.  
  
“It's weird. It doesn't really hurt but it feels like something is running across my leg. Sometimes it hurts a little. Like a static shock.” Mia shrugged, knowing that being honest was the best way for him to help her.  
  
“ I see. Do you mind if I run a scan on your legs, Mia?” He questioned quietly, conjuring a rag doll and giving it to Lila. He tried to set the younger girl down but she locked her legs before hitting him. “Uh-uh Lila. We do not hit.” He scolded quietly, rubbing the child's back for a moment.  
  
Mia hesitated for a moment, gazing between the younger girl and the older man. The littler girl didn't want to be put down and she understood that, she liked to be held sometimes too. But to check her legs, he would put her down. Finally she shrugged again, meeting the dark skinned man's eyes.  
  
Eric bit back a sigh, conjuring a footstool so that he would be level with the child's legs. He slowly started to maneuver Lila so that she was on his back instead of his hip. The little blond didn't even fight him; apparently the child understood exactly what he was doing. With her holding onto his back, he lowered steadily onto the stool before lifting one of Mia's feet and placing it gently on his leg. He placed a hand on her ankle, letting his magic flow up the limb for a moment before frowning slightly. “Does it hurt when I do that, Mia?”  
  
She grimaced, biting her lip to keep the pain in. When he had straighten her knee, it had hurt. Her leg hadn't hurt like that in years. She avoided his gaze, not one to complain and met Lila's eyes. The smaller girl had an armed wrapped around Eric's neck with one hand holding the doll and the other signing at her. She frowned, taking a moment to register the signs before shaking her head. She wouldn't tell him. She was use to pain, even if it wasn't pain like this. She was used to the constant pain in her spine, so used to it that she was adapt at hiding it now. But her spine had not been hurting as much in the last couple of days as it usually did.  
  
Lila frowned at the wheelchair-bound girl, making a rapid, one-handed gesture before smacking Eric's shoulder.  
  
“Lila, we have talked about hitting.” He remarked calmly, tilting his head to see the younger of the two girls. She made a sign that he knew well before pointing at Mia. He raised an eyebrow, turning his eyes back to the red haired child. “Lila informed me that you are in pain.” He remarked quietly, forcing down a smile when the rag doll floated passed his head and landed shakily on Mia's lap. A child who had so little was sharing something with another child who was hurting. He had noticed the pain as soon as he had sent his magic into the girl's leg. That's why he had asked her. He had wanted her to tell him herself, but if she wouldn't, at least she had a friend that would keep her honest.  
  
Mia shrugged, looking down. “It hurts a little.”  
  
Eric sighed softly. He knew that it hurt more than 'a little'. The fact that it hurt the child when he straightened her leg was interesting. He moved one of his hands to rest of her knee, letting his magic examine the joint closer. After a few moments, he removed his hand, summoning a pain potion with a slight shake of his head. The nerves in the child's leg were re-forming faster than they had expected. Her magic, which had already been trying to repair the damage, had been amplified. If the pain she felt now was anything to go by, the process was going to be extremely painful. There was little he could do for the child except give her something to help with the pain. “Drink this Mia. It will help. If you are in pain, you must let Alexis, your parents, or I know immediately so that we can help you. Your legs might be painful for a while and it is not necessary for you to be in that amount of pain.” Eric remarked finally, offering the child the potion vial. He waited until she had finished it before gently easing her legs back down and moving Lila to sit on his lap. He conjured a second doll, offering it to the smaller girl, and leaned back slightly, so that they could converse and play with ease.  
  
-x-  
  
Teddy grinned at his friend, easily taking his free hand and pulling Harry into the party room. “You have to see what Alexis did!” He had given her the idea, of course, but Harry didn't have to know that.  
  
Karrie smiled at Teddy's excitement, letting Harry pull her along with them. She blinked as they entered the room, eyes wide. This was so much different than the other parties she had attended here. Granted, Harry would not like either a fairy nor a princess party. But this... this looked like a mundane party she once attended. She completely understood Teddy's excitement.  
  
“This is awesome!” Harry grinned, green eyes darting from place to place. There was a bouncy house and an inflatable slide on one side of the room and a magical Snitch pinata hovering just past the table. This was so wicked! But how did Alexis know he would like this? He had only told Karrie and Teddy. Unless Teddy had told her, which was possible. That didn't make it any less awesome though. He wasn't quite sure what he wanted to try out first. Maybe they could do the bouncy house while they waited for the rest of their friends? “Let's play.” He shrugged finally, pulling both Teddy and Karrie toward the colorful bouncy house.  
  
“Maybe we should wait, Harry.” Teddy suggested hesitantly. He wanted to play on the bouncy house too. But he had a feeling that messing around on it unsupervised would not be acceptable.  
  
“For what?” Harry frowned, glancing at his friend for a moment, stopping beside the bouncy house and kicking off his shoes.  
  
“An adult.” Karrie supplied quietly, shaking her head slightly. She had played on one before and there had been an adult nearby at all times, in case something happened.  
  
“We'll be careful.” He shrugged, glancing between the two of them for a moment before dashing up the little incline and through the entrance into the bouncy house.  
  
Teddy looked at Karrie for a moment and they both rolled their eyes. Harry careful? On something that he could flip, jump, and tumble? Yeah right. With a shrug, he kicked off his own shoes and slowly entered the bouncy house. If nothing else, they could have fun together.  
  
-x-  
  
Remus bit back a smile, watching the three preteens bounce and tumble. He was quite happy that Severus had required alert and safety charms on the bouncy house. When Alexis had ordered the set, they had been a bit skeptical. But with the safety charms and the charm Filius placed on the toy to keep it completely inflated, he felt better about it. The fact that Alexis felt the need to buy seven different bouncy toys, some of which could only be used outside due to their size, was not actually shocking. The younger woman wanted these children to have the chance to actually be children. What better way than to have an end of summer party with bouncy structures and water toys. Of course, the children wouldn't know about it until the end of summer, but the counselors were already trying to plan the event. Remus frowned, raising an eyebrow as one of the black-haired children did a flip that was risky. “Children, your friends will be here shortly. Why don't you come out and help me set up the table?” He inquired finally, partly for his own peace of mind. Severus probably would have smirked at him for worrying over Harry's risky moves, but that child was a danger magnet. He didn't need to take unnecessary risks.  
  
Harry groaned, following his two friends out of the bouncy house and back over to the other half of the room. He wanted to bounce! It was fun and it was almost as cool as flying. Almost. He moved over to the table, taking the plates that Remus offered him and moving to set them out. Harry blinked, staring at the plates for a moment before grinning up at Remus. The plates had zooming snitches on them. Glancing at the plastic cups, his grin widen. There were Quidditch players zooming around the cups and a plastic snitch floating up the straws. This would be the best birthday ever. It was his first party and the first time he would spend his birthday with his friends. He wasn't quite sure what the feeling in the pit of his stomach was but he thought it might actually be happiness.  
  
Karrie looked up from helping Remus set up the cupcake stand with the snitch and broom cupcakes, turning her eyes toward the door. Her eyes lit up as she moved steadily toward the group of kids trying to all enter the door at once. “Neville! Daphne!”  
  
Teddy turned toward the door at Karrie's voice, smirking as Blaise and Draco playfully shoved each other through the door way. Millie followed them with a roll of her eyes. That was everyone but one then. He had 'overheard' Alexis talking to Severus about someone Harry wanted to invited. He wasn't sure if that person would come or even if he wanted her to. But Harry did, so that was all that mattered.  
  
Draco paused, staring at the large, inflated contraption for several moments before grinning widely. That looked like fun. It wasn't something that they had at the manor but if it was as wicked as it looked, maybe he could talk his dad into getting one for the manor's kids. “Harry! Happy Birthday!” He brushed his friend's arm softly, ignoring the slight flinch. They were slowly teaching Harry how the Slytherins and Ravenclaws greeted each other with gentle, subtle touches that were to create comfort and kinship. The Ravenclaws were a bit more hands off but Karrie had quickly picked it up. If only her and Millie would stop fighting! He wasn't quite sure why they were fighting, since Millie wouldn't talk about, but he wished they would just get over it. He fought with Blaise regularly but they always made up quite quickly.  
  
Green eyes gazed around the room, stopping briefly on each of his friends faces. Harry had seen the moment they had noticed the bouncy houses, as his friends faces had looked puzzled and then excited.  
  
“Harry.”  
  
He turned as his sister tugged on his arm, turning away from the friends milling about, ready to play and eat, toward the doorway. Toward Severus. Severus was standing halfway in the doorway, talking to someone outside the room for a moment before the man slipped into the room and beckoned for the person to follow him. Harry blinked before a huge smile lit up his face. Hermione had come! She had actually come! Now all of his friends were here, the ones his age anyway, and he knew that this would be a great evening. It just had to be.  
  
-x-  
  
It was when they were in the bouncy house, half of them anyway, that Blaise shoved Hermione. Karrie frowned, eyes focused on the older girl. The bushy hair preteen merely looked up at Blaise, shrugged, and bounced back up. The girl who was notorious for ordering people around said...nothing. Hermione did keep her distance from Blaise, but honestly, she was also staying out of pushing range from Blaise. He thought it was funny to see people fall and bounce back up. If one of the adults didn't catch on soon, she was going to hex him.  
  
“I don't like it.” Draco murmured softly, waiting for Millie to go down the large slide first. He glanced sidewise at Teddy, nodding his head in the direction of the bouncy house.  
  
Teddy bit his lip, running a hand through his hair. He didn't like it either but she was Harry's friend. She hadn't written Harry all summer but she was here. It wasn't like the older girl was like the Weasley boy. “She's his friend. We just have to give her a chance, for Harry.”  
  
“And if she hurts him?” Draco inquired casually.  
  
His eyes darken for a moment and a sly smile graced his lips. “Then we destroy her.” He responded softly, before climbing up the inflatable wall and flying down the slide.  
  
“Children! I think it is time for cake and presents!” Remus called out, eyes focused on that bounce house. There was too much shoving going on for his liking. The group of rampaging children that suddenly appeared around him was mildly disturbing. Maybe he didn't want to give them cake, after all.  
  
Harry took a deep breath, eyes pulled toward the pile of presents. Those were for him. Him. He had never received so many presents in his life! Let alone in one day! He glanced up when Severus took his hand, gently pulling him to the front of the circle of now seated children. He sat down where the man had gestured, eyes lighting up when Remus handed him the first present. It was wrapped in fire-breathing dragon paper! He traded a grin with Draco before carefully peeling away the paper.  
  
A child should not open a present so carefully. Granted, Neville had been the same way as had Teddy. It made him wish that he could harm those who had hurt these precious children. Lucius bit back a smile when the child's face split into a wider grin at Draco's present. Who knew comic books could cause such joy. He raised an eyebrow, watching the face of the mundane-born child drop before turning back to watch, and take pictures, of Harry. He had offered, of course, so that the two parents could control the present pile and the group of sugary monsters disguised as children.  
  
Harry was enjoying this. It helped that his friends knew him well. Teddy had gotten him an awesome drawing book, Alexis had given him nice inks for it; Karrie had found a magical Griffin and a practice snitch that changed colors! All the other kids have given him equally thoughtful presents. The one he held was the last one, as Severus and Remus had explained earlier that they would give him his presents in their quarters later. It was wrapped in plain deep purple paper and it felt like a book. He opened it just as carefully as the others, gasping at the comic books that greeted him before his eyes flew to Hermione. These were Mundane comics!  
  
“Spiderman? The Avengers? The Hulk?” Draco read softly, eyes scanning the titles as Harry lifted each one from the bundle. It wasn't Merlin and the Dragon or the Mad Potion Master, but they looked intriguing. “Harry?” He whined, causing Teddy to nudge him and Blaise to chuckle.  
  
“Yes Draco, you can borrow them when I'm done.” He rolled his eyes, huffing out a breath in dramatic exaggeration. “Thanks Hermione, these are great.”  
  
Maybe the other girl would be so bad after all, if she knew that Harry liked purple and that comics, of any type, were his favourite. Karrie mused nudging Daphne with her foot.   
“Two galleons, we both hear about 'The Hulk' for a week.”  
  
Daphne giggled. “Make it two.”  
  
-x-  
  
Harry sat up as his sister sneaked silently into his room. He didn't have to look at the clock to know what time it was. He just knew. It was August 1st now, the day between.  
  
Karrie moved quietly, eyes watching for the stray toy that she knew Harry had left on the floor. She reached his bed safely, climbing up and crawling in beside him. It was in-between now and she could feel the magic within them both. “Happy Birthday Harry.” She whispered, leaning into his side..  
  
“Happy Birthday Karrie.” He smiled, watching the glitters of magic dance around them for a moment before he closed his eyes.  
  
She also smiled, feeling something change ever so slightly before she also drifted off to sleep.  
  
They were twins in all but blood. Magic knew it and made it so. Children might not understand the rules and rituals that adults used. That did not, however, make them any less capable of magic. A magic called by the simple wish of two children, close in age, to be twins will do just that. The two might not have realized the magic they had invoked that night, by simply deciding that they wanted to share a birthday, but magic knew. Magic knew.  
-x-


	33. Intervention

-x-  
Severus smiled softly, watching the two sleeping children for a moment before moving silently away. They could sleep in today, it was a Saturday morning and the children did not have to return to the camp unless they wanted to. They had known that Karrie had left her room last night, but as the wards had gone off in Harry's room not long after and Remus had gone to check on them minutes later, they had decided to let the two children be. Neither child had nightmares last night, a miracle in itself. Besides, they were siblings and he knew that sometimes falling asleep next to your sibling was the best way to fight nightmares. It had worked for Alexis in the past, after all.   
  
Remus caught his partner's eyes when the younger man walked back into the kitchen. “Bain wanted to speak to us about something.” He remarked calmly, letting his worry briefly show in his eyes. It was seven in the morning on a Saturday, Bain was a teenaged boy. Usually, it took arguing to get any of the teenagers up before noon on weekends. The fact that the child was here, in their quarters, this early meant that something was wrong. The child didn't appear physically injured, but that didn't mean anything.   
  
“Bain?” Severus inquired softly, turning his full attention to the teenager at his kitchen table.   
  
He hesitated, playing with his fingers for a moment. “I need to talk to both of you about something.” The red-head muttered finally, glancing up at the older two men. He had thought about going to Eric and Tim, they were helping him through his own problems after all, but he didn't want to get her in trouble and he didn't know what else to do.   
  
Remus gave the boy a soft smile, sitting down at the table with him and waited a moment for Severus to join them. Once the other man had, he returned his full attention to the teenager. “You can talk to us about anything Bain.” He encouraged softly.   
  
“Remember a couple of weeks ago when they told all us older teenagers that if we were concerned for someone or their safety, that we were to come to any of the adults and you'd help, because ya'll needed to know if something was wrong otherwise you couldn't help and we didn't have to do it alone cause we were just kids even the ones of us who really weren't but still are?” He asked in one breath, drumming his fingers on the table when silence followed.   
  
It took him a moment to figure out what the teenager had just said but it had clicked quickly that he was concerned about another student. Severus wasn't quite sure why he hadn't gone to his mother first, but that was alright. She had enough on her plate as it was. “We do. Who has you worried, Bain?” 

  
“Alexis.”  
  
He blinked. That was not the answer he had expected at all. “What has you worried?” That would explain why he hadn't gone to the younger woman though. _“We may have to intervene with Alexis, even if just to see if there is anything to worry about.”_ Severus thought, glancing at his partner in time to catch the slight nod. Maybe this bond thing wasn't as much a curse as he had feared.  
  
He wasn't sure if he should tell them everything or just what Teddy had said. “Well, Teddy was worried about who would take care of and protect Alexis, because she takes care of everyone else and us, so someone has to take care of her.” Bain shrugged, staring down at the table. He didn't want to tell on her, not really. She didn't even know that he had noticed some of what was going on. He knew of course, that he didn't know everything, which was partly why he was reluctant to tell. She could have a good reason for what he had noticed.  


“I can understand Teddy's worry, particularly after the events in Milan. Is that the only reason you are worried, Bain? Because of Teddy?” Remus questioned softly, knowing that there was something else. Otherwise, the teenager would not have come to them at seven in the morning. He would have waited for a more reasonable time.   
He hesitated for a moment longer, looking up to glance between the two men. “I don't want to get her in trouble.” He mutter finally.   
  
“You won't, Bain. Alexis is an adult who makes her own decisions. But if you are worried about her, we need to know why so that we can help her. She may be an adult but she is not alone in this. We want to help her. Will you help us do that?” Severus responded, not unkindly, watching his apprentice for a long moment. This was not a child who worried without reason.   
  
“She hasn't slept in days. She keeps taking a wide-awake potion, she mixes it with her coffee. Which is dangerous, Severus. The caffeine in the coffee mixed with the amount in the wide-awake potion can be deadly if the dosage is off. She's also...I don't know. Something just feels off. Maybe she's really stressed or the castle's overpowering her. I heard her talking to Fawkes...well, swearing at Fawkes. About something the castle was doing. I don't know. I just want her to be safe and happy. She's my mum, you know?” Bain took a deep breath, slowly meeting the eyes of both men. Neither of them looked pleased but they didn't seem angry either. More...resigned than anything.   
  
Remus met Severus' eyes for a long moment before turning back to the child. _“You convince Alexis to come down here and I will go speak with Henry.”_ “Thank you for telling us Bain. We will make sure she is taken care of. Your job, for right now, is to look after your brothers. We will help your mum. Okay?' He remarked gently, resting his hand slowly on the boy's and giving it a squeeze. The child seemed to relax and he understood why. It was a load off of his shoulders, now that they would be taking care of it. Bain didn't have to be responsible for looking after Alexis anymore. Granted, he never really was responsible for that but he understood why the child would have felt that way.   
  
He relaxed slowly, leaning into the hand Severus rested on his shoulder and the gentle squeeze of his own hand. They were the adults, they could take care of it. Which meant he could go back to bed now. It was early, after all, and he was tired. Plus, he wanted to spend the afternoon hanging with Isaac and he couldn't do that if he was tired. “Okay. Thanks. I'm going back to sleep.” He shrugged, standing and letting first Severus and then Remus hug him, before bee-lining it to the floo and back to Alexis' quarters. His bed was calling him, after all.  
  
Severus chuckled softly but quickly sobered. “Shall we get her to sleep first and then go from there? Or?” He inquired, moving through to the living room and the floo.   
  
“We'll fight with her after she has slept a bit. I'm willing to bet she hasn't left her office since last night. See if you can get her into our bed. If not, it shouldn't take me long to   
find Henry and see if he has noticed anything unusual.” Remus replied, setting an alarm over their children's room before moving toward the door. He wanted to be aware of when they woke up, so that they did not wake up to empty quarters.  
  
“It's going to be a fight to get her to sleep, particularly if she has been awake as long as Bain believes. Once she is asleep, I'll get the wide-awake potions from her quarters. She doesn't need an addiction to those on top of everything else.” Severus responded, meeting his partner's eyes for a brief moment before stepping into the floo.  
  
-x-  
  
Isaac hesitated, glancing down at the smaller boy before finally knocking on the door. They had been invited to breakfast and since he was coming to like both of the older men, he had only brief thoughts about not coming. But they had invited Damian as well and he knew his brother would like it.   
  
Tim opened the door with a smile, holding it open for the two boys. When Eric had brought Isaac home Thursday night, they had decided to invite both boys for Saturday brunch. Because Eric saw something in Isaac that they had only seen twice before. And it had yet to be wrong, so they wanted to get to know the boys and to give the boys someone to trust besides Alexis, someone else who could be there. “Good morning Isaac, Damian. Do you like crepes, Damian?” He inquired, motioning them through to the kitchen, where Eric was making said crepes.   
  
“We never had crepes.” Damian shrugged, meeting the older man's eyes for a moment before leaning into his brother. He glanced toward the stove, sniffing the air. It smelt quite good but that didn't mean anything. No one had ever made food just for them before. Only Isaac had ever cooked treats for him and his brother had not done it often.   
  
Eric smiled at the two boys, catching Tim's eye for a brief second. “Crepes are like sweet pancakes, with fruit filling. It is a French food, as we lived in Frances for several years.” He explained quietly, setting the serving dish on the table and gesturing for both boys to sit as Tim poured glasses of juice for each of them. “There is fresh fruit and crepes. Go ahead.” He motioned toward the dishes, watching as the two boys hesitated before Isaac finally nodded and slowly placed a crepe on his own plate before helping his brother do the same.   
  
Tim cut a small piece off a crepe and a sliver of fruit, placing both onto a plate. “It private quarters for family meals, we always do a ritual blessing first. Isaac, Eric told me that you know your rituals well. Would you like to perform our blessing?” He inquired calmly, meeting almond coloured eyes for a moment before the boy looked away and shook his head. “No? That's okay. Next time then.”   
  
Damian glanced at his brother and then the light-skinned man with a frown before waving his hand in the air.   
  
“Yes Damian?”   
  
“Can I do it?” Isaac had taught him a few of the blessings, after all. He might not know all the words but he figured they wouldn't care. And maybe they'd help him if he got stuck. They seemed nice enough, anyway.  
  
“Damian.” Isaac hissed, shaking his head. His brother would probably botch any attempt. He was just a kid, after all.   
  
Eric fought down a chuckle, exchanging glances with Tim. As there was nothing dangerous about this rite, this prayer, he didn't see why not. “Of course you can.”   
  
Damian grinned before growing serious and staring at the plate. He had seen his brother do this once or twice. It should be easy, right? He held his hand out toward the plate, biting his lip for a moment. “Lord and Lady, this we give to you because food is good. So mote it be.” He stared at the plate a moment longer, a grin spreading across his face when it slowly started smoking before the small offering caught and burnt,quickly turning to ash and vanishing.   
  
“Thank you Damian, that was wonderful.” Tim praised, moving to put food onto his own plate. He loved Eric's crepes. All of their family did, actually.   
  
Isaac snorting, rolling his eyes. That was a botched ritual if he ever heard one. But he did understand that Damian was young and meal offerings weren't quite as serious.   
  
Eric watched the younger of the two boys dig into his food for a moment before turning toward the older boy, who moved more deliberately. “It was a valiant effort. I remember Remus' first blessing and it wasn't nearly as articulated.” He remarked quietly, catching the teenager's eye.   
  
Tim snorted, shaking his head.. “Remus? Do you remember Alexis'? I thought she'd burn down the kitchen!”   
  
He did laugh then, catching his partner's eyes for a brief moment. If innocence little stories would help the teenager relax, they could easily tell them. Damian seemed quite at ease with them but the younger boy had not suffered as much conditioning as the older. Partially because Isaac taught Damian how to hide his magic. “I also remember you trying to teach her how to say the ritual in a language she didn't speak.” He teased, leaning back slightly.   
  
“I didn't think she'd take jab literally.” Tim retorted, catching Isaac's eye and rolling his in exaggerated exasperation.   
  
Damian giggled, glancing between the two men. The headmistress used to be young like them? “Why did she live with you? What language did she speak?” He asked, curious.   
  
“Damian!” Isaac hissed, nudging the younger boy. He was curious as well, but he knew better than to ask. He did find it interesting that Alexis was once just like him, stumbling around with the rituals. He knew the older woman had suffered abuse, she had shown him the scars on her arm after all, but he wasn't aware that she had lived with Tim and Eric. He bet Tim was the strict one, it seemed like it anyway.   
  
“It's alright, Isaac. Alexis living with us was not a secret. She was my apprentice and since she was underage, she could not live in the university quarters for apprentices. Alexis is German by birth, so when she came to us, she spoke German. She barely knew any English.” Tim responded causally, shrugging slightly. It was the truth, even if it was a simpler version of the truth. Alexis barely spoke when she came to them, they hadn't even been sure that she understood German and the English she had known had left something to be desired.   
  
“What was her first English word?” Damian inquired, leaning forward, his forkful of crepe forgotten for the moment.   
  
Eric glanced at Tim, hesitating for a moment. “Eat your breakfast and I'll tell you.” He responded quietly. He remembered her first English word, her first sentence, quite well. Particularly since it had been directed at him.   
  
~   
_“Alexis, how can I gauge your English proficiency if you refuse to speak it with me?” Eric inquired in German, resisting the urge to sigh. The teenager was wearing on him that day. Her 'tutor' had the day off, since he was at home, and Tim had an emergency that he had to deal with. He could handle teenagers with no problem, he knew that. But she still didn't trust them. If Remus had taught him anything, it was that the trust would come slowly, but it would come.  
  
“_ _Arschloch._ _” She hissed, glaring at the wall. He couldn't make her speak.  
  
“_ _Auf_ _Englisch_ _, bitte.” He responded calmly. That was one word more than she had spoken in over an hour, at least.  
  
She scowled, counting the tiles on the wall silently. She had been fine with the math sheet he had given her, advance something or another. It was easy. But the English page was not. She didn't want to learn to read again. She could already read just fine! So why should she learn to read in another language? They wouldn't keep her long enough for it to be important.   
  
He did sigh this time, glancing at the maths sheet on the table. The child could solve a complex calculus problem in five minutes, without a calculator, but she couldn't say a sentence in English. Her French was slightly better than her English, as she had spoken it when she was on the streets. And while French was important while they were in France, English was necessary for the university. They wouldn't let her take any advanced magic or non-magic classes until her English, French, and Latin were up to par with the examinations. Latin wasn't a problem, French was coming along, but her English? At the rate she was going, it would be another year. She didn't even have to read it, she just had to be able to speak and understand it. They couldn't teach her everything she needed to know, although they could teach her much, so she had to learn. “How can I know if your tutor is helping if you do not speak it?” He inquired again, raising an eyebrow when she merely growled at him. “I'll teach you a swear in Russian.” He offered in English, watching her expression as she slowly puzzled out what he said.   
  
“Was ist los? Spinnst Du?” She responded, frowning slightly. She understood most of those words, after all. He wanted her to swear in Russian? Really? But she didn't know Russian. Adults were weird.   
  
“Nein, no. I am not crazy. I am a teacher, Lehrer. So I will teach, lehre, you one word in another language, anderssprachig, for every word you speak, sagst, auf Englisch. Ja?” He explained in English. He figured if he used the English and German word for words she might not know, it would help her recognize them faster. Maybe that's what they should start doing, speaking in both languages at once.   
  
“Ja, Ok. Welches Wort?” Alexis shrugged, understanding now. She was right, adults were weird. He would teach her to swear, and other words, in another language if she spoke English? Wasn't that bribery? She didn't like English, it didn't feel right on her tongue.   
  
“Any word.”   
  
“Ass.” She responded, glancing up for a brief second.   
  
He bit his lip to keep from laughing. He had a feeling she would go with something like that, just to see what he would say or do. “Use it in a sentence.”   
  
“You ass.”   
  
“You _are an _ass.” He corrected calmly. “While I don't appreciate being sworn at, I understand that you might feel that way and that is okay. Thank you for speaking English with me. Now, let's try it in Russian.”  
~  
_   
“And that was her first word.” Eric shrugged, taking the final bite of his own crepe. The two boys had made fast work of the dish. He remembered how Remus used to eat when he was hungry, perhaps he would have to make bigger dishes. He was used to cooking for two adults, not two teenagers. He would work on it.   
  
Isaac stared at the older man, his mouth slightly open. Her first word has been a swear?! At Eric? The older man was kind but he would be the one he would have sworn at too. Tim didn't seem to be the type to put up with it. “You speak Russian sir?” He asked finally, setting his fork down. The crepes had been delicious. From the fact that they were all over Damian's face, he had a feeling his brother felt the same way.   
  
“Wipe your face, Damian.” Eric instructed, not unkindly, before turning back to the older boy. “I do. I speak several languages.” He wiped his hands on his own napkin before picking up the serving dish and taking it to the sink. While they had a house-elf assigned to them, he liked cooking and cleaning up afterwards. Technically, if he cooked, Tim cleaned.   
  
Damian did as instructed, using the sleeve of his shirt for a brief second before catching the look on Tim's face and taking the cloth napkin the older man held out to him.   
  
“Sorry.”He murmured, staring down at his sticky hands.   
  
“It's alright, Damian. Just try to use a napkin, not your sleeve.” Tim replied with a soft smile, squeezing the child's shoulder as he moved to take the dishes off the table.   
  
“Let us help.” Isaac stood, picking up his plate and nudging his brother to do the same.   
  
“Thank you, boys.” Eric smiled, spraying off each dish before placing it within the small dishwasher. He loved their little magic dishwasher, one of the reasons he had convinced Alexis to have them installed in all the teachers and healers quarters. That and they helped make family meals more intimate, without elves popping in and out.   
  
“How many languages do you speak Eric?” Damian was always curious, particularly when it was an adult who hadn't hit him yet. His teachers at primary had said he asked too many questions sometimes, but he liked questions. He wasn't always found of the answers, however.   
  
Tim snorted, glancing at his partner. “He speaks too many to count. Way more than I do. It is part of our job, so that we can be able to communicate with anyone who comes to us for help. But Eric has this obsession with languages.”   
  
“It's not an obsession.” Eric muttered, shutting the dishwasher and waving the boys through to the living room. “It's a passion. I speak most European languages and dialectics, some Middle Eastern languages, like Farsi, some Asian languages, mostly Eastern Asia, many Russian Dialects, and a limited amount of South and Central American languages. I am currently studying what some consider the Nilo-Saharan languages.” He explained, letting the excitement show in his eyes for a moment before frowning at the sudden burn of his pendant. He touched it, half listening to his husband's explanation to the boys.   
  
“It's a select few languages of the continent of Africa. The continent is huge and there are hundreds of languages spoken there. He won't learn them all, not in this lifetime. That doesn't, however, stop him from speaking Songhai in his sleep.” He teased, mostly for the boys benefit. He had noticed that look on Eric's face after all.   
“  
I have to run.” He frowned, trying to interpret the several different messages sent to him at once.  
_“  
Bad?”_ “That's alright. The boys and I will play a game. How does that sound, boys? We have several board games in that cabinet if you would like to pick one out Damian.” Tim responded firmly, smiling at the younger boy and nodding toward the cabinet. He would spend some time with the boys and hopefully Eric would be back soon.   
  
_“I'm not quite sure. I have three different calls, all for the infirmary. The only one that makes any sense is Alexis'. Someone has been hurt. I might need you. I will send word.”_ He answered silently, summoning his bag with a wave of his hand. “I will hopefully be back soon. He cheats at scrabble, Damian, so you got to watch him.” Eric teased, squeezing Isaac's shoulder as he walked passed before stepping into the floo. He hoped it wasn't as bad as he feared.   
  
-x-  
  
Eric grimaced, glancing around the chaotic infirmary. From the floo, he could see passed the divider that someone thought to throw up. He was willing to bet it was Alexis, who was calmly working on a child he didn't recognize and steadily instructing the teenager 'helper' he often had in healing another new child. He glanced at the other side of the screen and understood the problem immediately. Severus was busy working on two children he did recognize, spelling a potion into one before moving back to the other, using his own apprentice for help. It was the two arguing counselors, however, that might have been the problem. The silencing spell surrounding them felt like Severus' handiwork. He glared at the two young adults, sending stinging spells at them and raising an eyebrow when they turned to glare at him. “Out. _Now_.” He ordered, he would deal with them later.   
  
“Nikolaas has a few broken bones that I would rather not attempt to mend. He is sedated and has had a pain draft. ” Severus remarked softly, wand tracing over the young girl in front of him again. “Bain, I need another stabilizer potion.” He murmured, glancing at the young man before turning his attention back to the girl. She was the same age as his own daughter. A bit younger, actually.   
  
Eric nodded, running his own scan over the teenaged boy before moving to run a scan over the preteen girl that Severus was spelling a potion into. He frowned, placing his hand directly on the girl's chest and running his magic through her. “What happened?” He inquired equally soft, drawing his magic back. There was nothing he could do here.   
  
“We're not quite sure. Those two don't seem capable of anything but blaming each other. The only ones who knows exactly what happened is Nikolaas and Emma. Rose saw the end of it, as she alerted both of the counselors to it and she stabilized Nikolaas to get him up here. She also fed Emma enough magic to stabilize her core until I could start feeding her potions. I induced a magical coma, otherwise..” He trailed off, catching the older man's eyes. Otherwise, they would have already lost the little girl.   
“  
Will she be okay?” Bain asked quietly, staring down at the small child for a long moment before moving to brace Nikolaas' shoulder. She was just a kid. Just a little kid.   
  
“Only time will tell.” Eric responded honestly. He knew what Severus wasn't saying, what he wouldn't say. They could not doubt this little girl. They had to try to help her, regardless of whether it had ever worked before. Her core had tried to mature. The coma she was in was keeping her alive, otherwise the onslaught of magic to her physical senses would kill her. No child this young had ever survived. But with the core stabilizers Severus was constantly feeding her, she might make it. They had to act as if she would. Her core must have been close to maturing and something must have triggered it. Usually it only happened in life threatening situations. But knowing the child's past, it was probably on the edge as it was and it reacted. They were lucky the backlash of her magic hadn't killed Nikolaas either, although he had several broken bones.   
  
Bain frowned, glancing at the older man even as he helped him straighten Nikolaas' leg so the man could heal it and place a cast on it. “Is there nothing you can do?” It wasn't like these two men to look so defeated, so helpless. And this little girl was just a bit younger than Teddy. He knew what had happened to Emma before she had been brought to the school. Ariana had sobbed it into his shoulder two days before. They couldn't give up on her. They just couldn't.  
  
“Bain...when this happens, as rare as it is, it doesn't usually end well. We can keep her in a magically-induced coma and feed her core stabilizers, we just have to hope her body can handle the magic. There is only one other option and it has never worked. Even if it did work, we don't know what the end result might be.” Eric responded softly. He understood why it upset the child but their only other choice was drastic. He would use it if he had to, but only then. Because no child had ever survived the other option and it stretched out their suffering. What he wouldn't tell the boy was that the physical pain from her core maturing would kill her if she wasn't sedated, that the pain from a core maturing normally could be harsh. When it was forced to mature this early, it was extreme.   
  
He watched his apprentice for a long moment, noting how carefully the teenager handled the injured child. Bain could be a healer if he chose but he knew the boy wouldn't be able to take the emotional impact of it. He also knew that if the girl started to go, Eric, Tim, and Alexis would try the other method. They wouldn't just let the child die. “If necessary, we will try the second option. But that involves removing most of the magic from her body and feeding it back in piece by piece.” He added calmly. Usually, the child died by the second hour. One child had made it three days and the healers had used a power stone to help. Perhaps.. “Do you have any power stones, Eric? Clean ones?” He inquired suddenly, turning to face the older man.   
  
He raised an eyebrow, setting the last cast over Nikolaas' leg. “What are you thinking?”   
  
“What if we soak Agate, Onyx, and Flint in a stabilizing potion and use them as points? Close the circle with Prasiolite and use an Opal for power.” Severus suggested, running it through in his mind. Agate, onyx, and flint were stabilizing stones. Prasiolite was a bridging stone but extremely rare. And opal, well opal was usually used to draw on stored, extra power for emergencies.   
  
That might actually work. “It has never been tried before. However, we need more stabilizing potion, so make an extra batch and start soaking the stones. Hopefully we won't need them. I'll have Tim pull what you need and we will find some Prasiolite. We also need some Amertine as an anchor.” If they didn't need it, the three soaked stones could be put aside for another project. If they did, at least they would have it.   
  
The dark-haired man gave a firm nod, placing a hand on the teenager's shoulder and steering him toward the floo. “Come along, Bain, we have a potion to make.”   
  
Eric sighed, gazing down at the preteen for a moment before setting a charm to alert him to any change. She was stabilized as much as possible at the moment, so he needed to check on Alexis and the two new children.   
  
Alexis grunted, stepping away from the two beds. Both children were asleep and healing, to the best of her ability. They would both be alright. “Bailey and Bellamie. Eleven year old, mundane born twins.” She remarked, glancing at Eric as the man stepped around the screen. Bailey, the boy, had several abrasions, internal bleeding, and severe bruising. Bellamie, the girl, on the other hand, had a spiral fracture, abrasions, and severe bruising. Another two children whose parents had tried to beat the magic out of them. Their abuse could have been worse, and she knew that. They were both mild, considering some of the other cases this summer. The internal bleeding, however, had been concerning.   
  
“How is she?” She added softly, meeting his gaze. She had helped Severus stabilize Nikolaas quickly before moving to the twins. Her own scan of Emma had shown her what they were dealing with and she knew she was not quite strong enough to help at the moment.   
  
Eric glanced toward Rose, who was sitting calmly in a chair, watching the twins sleep. “As well as can be expected.” He replied, running a quick scan of his own over each child, including the teenager. The twins were about as he expected, each healing at their own pace. There was a bit of concern on the boy's scan, but it wasn't pressing. He would need a blood test to be certain anyway. That could wait until the child was awake. Rose, however, was suffering from slight magical exhaustion. Rest would fix it easily but he knew how likely that was. He vanished the curtain, conjuring a bed between Emma's and Bellamie. “Why don't you relax for a bit, Rose?” He suggested firmly, summoning a magic replenisher and offering it to the child. She merely nodded, downing the potion and moving to stretch out on the bed. She did grin when Alexis handed her a fashion magazine, relaxing against the pillow. He turned toward Alexis and forced down a sigh. She was pale and that look in her eyes...he had seen it before. Many times. It was time for him to intervene then. “Rose, will you keep an eye of things out here for me?”   
  
The teenager nodded, glancing up from the latest mundane fashions. She wanted to be a healer one day, so that she could help children like Bailey and Ballamie, like Emma and Nikolaas. Children like herself. She could easily watch a sleeping infirmary. Easily.   
  
“Thank you. Alexis, let's go to my office. We need to discuss some things.” He smiled at the fifteen year old before beckoning to the older woman. She wouldn't like this but he would need her if Emma started to go. So he was stepping in as a Head of her Family. She could hate him later.   
  
“Is Emma's core stabilizing at all?” She inquired once they were inside his office. She didn't want to worry Rose but she knew the odds. The child's magic tried to mature before her core was stable. If they couldn't get her core stable and her magic under control, it would kill her. She did not want to bury a child.  
  
He sighed, running a hand across his forehead. “It's trying to. Her core was near the point of stabilizing anyway but it appears that the backlash overwhelmed it. Time will tell.” He responded, suddenly feeling tired. But if he was tired, Alexis looked like she could pass out from exhaustion. Again. He gestured to the pull-out couch, still made up as a bed from his nap the night before. He slept in his office when he was on call. All the on-call healers slept on that couch, actually. Not that there was more than three of them, currently. He needed to hire someone, and soon, but he just didn't have the time. “You are exhausted. I want you to lie down and sleep. I will wake you if anything changes.” He ordered firmly, raising an eyebrow when she started to argue.   
  
“I'm fine, Eric.” She grunted, glaring at the older man for a moment before folding her arms over her chest and huffing.   
  
She looked so much like the teenager she once was when she did that. “Alexis, I might need you at full strength. That isn't possible but at least you can be a bit rested. Severus and I are working out a ritual that might work, using power stones, but we will need your help. It will take all four of us. Hopefully it isn't necessary. But if it is, you need rest.”   
He stated quietly, offering her a small vial of potion. It was half of a normal dose of sleeping potion, enough that she should sleep instantly but that she would also be easy to wake if needed.   
  
Alexis frowned, curious about this ritual but she knew better than to argue. He was right. If she was needed, she wasn't strong enough. And taking a replenisher would not solve the problem. Not this time. “Alright. Wake me if you need me. Have you informed Tim? She inquired, downing the potion and settling down on the little couch. She needed to get more comfortable furniture for his office, if he was going to sleep here. Or set up a room specifically for the healer on call to sleep. It was something to work on another day.   
  
“Not yet. I will now. Sleep kleine Direktorin.” He ordered softly, watching her eyes flutter shut before moving to the floo to call his husband.  
  
-x-  
  
It was two in the morning when a scream woke him up just as the alarms he set went off. The dark-skinned healer had been sleeping in a bed beside Emma's, as two of the three other children had been released to the camp and the third had been moved into another wing of the infirmary for the night, just in case. He moved quickly, stopping a step away from the child's bed. Her eyes were wide open and he could see the terror there. “Rose! Wake Alexis and floo Severus!” He ordered, glancing for a brief second at the teenager who appeared beside his elbow. Alexis had slept over twelve hours, only getting up to eat briefly before he had sent her back to bed. Hopefully the woman was rested enough. Because this child should not be conscious. The magically-induced coma should not have been broken through. He placed a hand of her forehead, carefully sending his magic through her in a deep scan before pulling back. “ _I need you.”_ He called silently, knowing Tim would hear. He summoned his bag, shuffling through it for a moment before finding the pouch he needed. He felt, rather than heard, Alexis return with Rose.   
  
Alexis frowned, gently touching the child's hand and sending her own magic through in a quick scan before grimacing. Her body was shutting down. The child freaking out didn't help any either. She took a deep breath, sending the smallest drop of calming magic into the child, just enough to settle her, to take the edge off. With that she stepped back, moving the bed away from the wall. She felt better, having slept, stronger. Hopefully it would be enough.   
  
Eric poured the powder from the pouch into his head, moving in a wide circle around the child's bed. He left an opening at the base of it, so that the four of them could move into place. He moved out of the circle, to meet Severus and Tim, both carrying bags of their own. They needed to quickly discuss this before they attempted it. This was not something they could make up as they went along.   
  
Severus beckoned to his sister, offering her the pouch of potion-soaked stones. She could tune them to the child's magic easily. The fact that the child was awake bothered him. They didn't have much time here.   
  
Alexis gave a slight nod, using the cloth Tim offered to carefully lift each potion stone out of the bag. They did not need to have her essence on them. She held each stone briefly, before placing one on the floor beside the bed on each side, before placing the third, the Onyx, at the foot of the bed, near the opening of the circle. She would activate them as soon as the circle was closed. In her brief period of awake-ness, the four of them had discussed the basics of this ritual.  
  
Tim frowned, breaking away from the quiet discussion of where they would start at the change in magic.   
  
“Rose! Don't!” She turned too late, horror showing on her face as the teenager held the child's hand, her own magic brightly streaming into the child.   
  
“Rose. You have to let go. Let go.” Eric ordered softly, quickly moving beside the girl and wrapping an arm around her. If their magic mixed, the teenager would be tangled and they would lose them both.   
  
“She'll die.” Rose whispered, staring down into bright blue eyes. She couldn't let the little girl die, no matter how much the child thought it was what she deserved. She was just a little girl!  
  
“Rose, please. You have to let go. Please let go.” Tim responded gently, catching Eric's eyes. They couldn't perform the ritual with the teen's magic mixed in. It was already risky and they had no idea if it would work. Performing the ritual could kill them both.   
  
“Fawkes!” Alexis called, tilting her head to examine the girls magic once more. They could do this, carefully. She smirked when the phoenix appeared and immediately landed on the older girl's shoulder. She waited a second as Fawkes magic cocooned around Rose, even as her magic still fed into Emma. “We can do this. Fawkes can protect Rose and we have another...advantage.”She stated calmly, catching each of the men' eyes in passing.   
  
“It is dangerous, Alexis.” Severus shook his head, catching on quickly.   
  
“It's our only option.”She responded firmly, holding her hand out toward Tim. Her mentor hesitated but passed over the Prasiolite. She held it for a moment before setting it into position, even as Eric moved around the edges of the circle, placing the Amertine down. It would act as an anchor on all sides, holding everything together.   
  
Tim gave a soft sigh, holding the opal in his hand for a long moment before passing it to his left, to Severus. He watched the younger man hold it in concentration before passing it to Eric. He knew that Eric would do anything to save this child, just as Alexis would. Just as he would. But he also knew that his partner knew when it was time to let go. He wasn't quite sure Alexis would know went to stop. Gods help them, he hoped this worked.  
  
She took the opal last, holding it for a long moment before moving to Rose. “Rose, I want you to touch this with your free hand. Just touch it, nothing else.” She murmured softly, waiting for the teen to follow her instructions. Adding the child's magic and essence to the power stone would strength the ritual and it would include her in the circle of magic, which would make it safer for the teen. “Alright. Eric, close the circle. Rose, you must do exactly as we say.” She ordered firmly, stepping back into her position. She waited until the circle was closed and everyone was in position, with Tim right beside Rose, in case something went wrong. Alexis took a deep breath, holding the opal firmly for a moment before stretching her hand out and letting it float over the child. She felt the men raise the stabilizing stones and used her other hand to draw the prasiolite up, so that the five stones floated at the points of magic. “Fire, Earth, Water, Air, we call thee friends four. Magic to heal and save a child, Goddess willing, so mote it be!” She called, feeling the magic fill the circle. This is where it would get tricky, as this had never been tried before. But they were doing many things this summer that no one had ever attempted before. If anyone could do it, they could.   
  
A glance showed that both Tim and Severus had their hands outstretched, controlling the power stones and offering magic of their own. Now, it was time to get to work. He took a deep breath, feeling Alexis do that same as she grasped his left hand with her right, each placing their free hand on the child. “Rose, close your eyes.” He ordered calmly, letting the magic fill him. He knew what Alexis had meant earlier as well, so he carefully send his magic into the child, surrounding her core. This had never been done before, and while his self was separated from the child, he could feel Rose mixed in, even with the phoenix holding her apart. He just had to hope the phoenix could control Rose's magic if it suddenly went south. Alexis seemed to believe so anyway. “Now, Alexis.”   
  
She took a deep breath, her hand tightening in his for a moment. She would never admit how scared this made her. “Castilla, give me your strength. Goddess, guide me.” She called out, grimacing at the wash of magic from the castle. Hogwarts was not keen on letting one of its children die either.  
  
He blinked, forcing himself to focus despite the fact that Alexis was _glowing_. Glowing. He could see the magic pouring through her, even with his limited ability at it, and he had to fight the urge to wince. Because Severus could also see the pain on her face, could see what it cost her to channel magic that was not her own.   
  
She closed her eyes in pain, letting the magic flow freely through her and around the child. With a shallow breath, she started to form the magic, sending it around the enclosure Eric had formed around Emma's core. She carefully filled the child with the castle's magic before slowly sending the child's magic into her core. They were going to fully mature the child's core and stabilize it, while lessening the effect of the backlash by absorbing most of it. They hoped.   
  
He guided her magic, pushing it along, while shoving any backlash outside of the child's body and into the power stones. They were there to act as a net, to catch anything that leaked and the overflow. It seemed to be working, slowly. He was, however, worried about the strain Alexis was undergoing. He wasn't quite sure the woman could finish the ritual, as the magic she was channeling was overwhelming her body. She was used to channeling a small bit of Hogwart's magic every day but this was so much more, even if it wasn't a fourth of the school's power. Even at full strength, it would have been overwhelming. Suddenly the magic changed and his eyes darted up.  
  
“Rose! Don't be an idiot.” Alexis hissed, feeling the child's free hand on her arm, the arm that was linked to Emma. Was the child insane? You didn't mess with someone elses ritual! That's how people died.   
  
Rose shrugged, tightening her grip on the headmistresses elbow. “Fawkes told me to. He said it was okay.” Honestly, she wasn't quite sure what she was doing, except she was feeding her magic through Emma and Fawkes had told her to bleed off of Alexis. She wasn't quite sure what that meant, or how she was hearing the phoenix, but she was steadily pulling some of the magic from Alexis into her and letting that flow through Emma.   
  
She released a breath she didn't realize she was holding, feeling some of the overwhelming magic leave her. Which meant she could focus more on shaping it. A quick scan inside the child showed that Rose was keeping her heart beating and her lungs filling, even as Emma slipped into a magical coma once more. She turned her attention back to shaping the magic, losing herself in the rhythm of it. Gods hoping, this would work.  
  
-x-  
  
Alexis woke up slowly, grunting at the fiery pain the spread through her muscles. She felt like she had been ran over by a bus. It took her a moment to realize where she was and how she got there. They were still in the infirmary, and Emma was stable. The child would live and hopefully there was little problems from what they had done. They would just find out as they went along, as nothing like it had ever been tried or succeeded before. She wasn't sure they would have succeeded without the magic of Hogwarts and the little leech curled into her side. She grunted softly, turning her head to see the warm body stretched out behind her. Eric was lounging against the headboard, a book against his chest, sound asleep. And Rose was curled into her body, her arms wrapped around stuffed elephant, asleep. She barely remembered what happened after they had finished the ritual. Tim had thanked the gods and elements, they had taken down the circle, and then the three of them were falling as one. The rush of magic leaving had knocked Rose out instantly and she, well Alexis wasn't quite sure if it was the pain of the school's magic or if it was Fawkes that had knocked her out soon after. The pain was still there, lingering in her muscles. She wasn't used to channeling that much power at one time, particularly power that was not hers. She also felt like she could sleep several hours more. She didn't quite understand why the three of them were on one bed, nor why Rose wasn't between the two of that, but that was alright. She was sure someone would explain it later.   
  
He glanced over as the alert charm went off, assessing Alexis with his eyes for a moment before moving to get a pain potion. They weren't quite sure how long the pain would linger, Filius had gone off to do some research and Severus was keeping the school running. He was keeping an eye on the four of them. Emma was doing much better and Rose was just magically exhausted. In his partner's brief periods of wakefulness, they had spoken about Eric taking the young teenager as an apprentice, if it would be possible for them to house three teenagers. Either way, Rose needed training. She had talent and she could easily be a touch healer, but gods that child was reckless. Much like another, several years ago. Who was now awake, however briefly it would be, and in pain. Tim moved over to the bed that held the trio, maneuvering carefully around Rose to help Alexis sit up before pressing a vial to her lips. The dark haired woman drank it and groaned. “Hows the pain?” He inquired softly, one hand supporting her back and the other gently touching her forehead.   
  
She grunted, moving carefully so as not to jostle the child nestled against her. “Bad.” She admitted softly, gazing down at the brunette child who shifted in sleep. “How is Emma? Rose?” She inquired, glancing back up at him.   
  
Tim nodded, letting his magic flow through her for a moment. At least she was being honest about it. “Rose is exhausted but she will be alright. Emma is healing, faster than expected.”  
  
“And Eric?”   
  
He sighed, holding her gaze until she looked away. As always, she was worried about everyone but herself. “He is drained. They both just need rest. You, however, need a bit more than rest. Particularly since you have been neglecting your own health again. Rest now. We will discuss everything that happened later.” Tim ordered softly, sending a small bit of calming magic into her, just enough so that she would fall back asleep. Her body was overly exhausted. It needed all the sleep it could get before the little Headmistress had to attend to her duties once more.


	34. Changing Magic

 Alexis looked up from the work she was tending to, turning her eyes to the child slowly stirring. It was early Monday morning. Emma had slept for nearly two days without stirring. They had worried, at first, that the child had fallen into a coma. That was, until the child's magic started lashing out. A twelve-year old child with a fully developed and matured magical core was a terrifying thought, as children that age did not possess the control necessary to keep from harming themselves or someone else. That was one of the reasons Emma was in a private, warded room. She stood stiffly, moving to get the child a glass of water for when she was completely awake.  
  
Emma groaned, her body was so sore and she didn't quite know why. Because she was also laying on something soft and comfortable, which wouldn't be the case if she was at home. It had taken her a moment to realize where she was, that she was at Hogwarts, before she relaxed enough to open her eyes. She closed them again with a soft whimper. It was way too bright. She also had this feeling that she was in the hospital wing. Ugh. 

  
She waved her hand, lowering the lights, before moving beside the child's bed. “It's alright Emma. May I help you sit up?” She questioned softly, waiting for blue eyes to open once more.  
  
Emma cautiously opened her eyes, blinking rapidly for a moment. At least the light didn't hurt now. She glanced at the headmistress, biting her lip for a moment before nodding. She wasn't sure if sitting up would be better or worse at the moment.  
  
Alexis set the glass down before lifting the bed up slowly. Once it was in the right position, she placed her hand behind the child's back, moving her gently so that she was sitting more comfortably. “Alright?” She inquired, offering the glass of water to the child. She fought to keep her face completely neutral when the child sniffed the glass before hesitantly taking a sip. It took a moment before the girl took the glass with both hands and started to drink eagerly. No child should be afraid to drink. It made her angry but she knew better than to let that anger show, at least in front of the skittish child. A child she needed to have a serious conversation with.  
  
Emma drained the glass, handing in back to the headmistress. She had been thirsty for some reason. She also wasn't quite sure why she was in the hospital wing. “What happened?” She asked slowly, coughing slightly. Her throat was scratchy, like it was after a lot of screaming or crying. But she was at Hogwarts, she was safe.  
  
Alexis moved slowly and deliberately to the water pitcher to refill the child's glass before returning to her side and handing it to her again. “Drink slowly this time. It will help.” She remarked summoning her chair and sitting slowly on it. She was keeping her movements as deliberate and visible as possible, as eyes the color of water were tracking her every move. “I was hoping you could tell me that. Do you remember anything at all, Emma?” She questioned quietly, resting her hands on her knees, where the child could see them.  
  
She hesitated, biting her lip again. “ I don't know. I remember being in the hallway and then Nikolaas was there. He caught me.” She responded finally. Her memory was fuzzy but she did remember Nikolaas being there. The older boy was always so kind to her.  
  
“He caught you? Did you fall?” Alexis inquired. Nikolaas did remember what happened. The teen's account involved the young girl standing on one of the window seats. He said he had called out to her, she startled and fell off the seat and he had attempted to catch her. She wasn't quite sure what exactly had caused the girl's core to mature, unless it had been that close to the edge that the fall had been the final push it needed.  
  
“I...think so? I remember staring out over the grounds, thinking. But I don't remember much after that.” She shrugged finally.  
“Did I get hurt?”  
  
“Not quite. Emma, do you know what your magical core is?”  
  
She frowned, thinking for a moment. Wasn't her core the place where her magic was stored? “Yeah, that's where my magic is.”  
  
She nodded, meeting unsure eyes until the child looked away. “That's right. Your magic  _ is _ stored in your core and as you get older your core stabilizes, so that it has a constant stream of magic in it and matures, so that it reaches its full state. While there is magic in everything, you primarily use the magic in your core.” Alexis paused for a moment to make sure the child understood that part first.  
  
Emma nodded, running that through her mind for a moment. So her core would become stronger as she got older then?  
  
“While most cores stabilizes at thirteen or fourteen, cores do not usually mature until seventeen or eighteen. Your core, however, felt the need to stabilize and mature late Saturday night. That means that you know have full access to your magic. Because of your age, Emma, that magic might overpower you for a while, so Eric, Tim, and I are going to teach you how to control that magic once your body has fully recovered. Do you understand what I'm telling you?” She explained calmly, watching the child's emotions flint across her face.  
  
So her magic was what it would be as an adult now. Did that mean she'd lose magic as she got older? And why was it fully formed now? She had control of her magic, didn't she? “Yes Alexis.” She responded finally. She didn't quite understand but she would research it. She wasn't a Ravenclaw for nothing, after all.  
  
She didn't think that the child really did. But that was alright. She would explain it again to the child later, when they started to teach her control. For now, Emma just needed food and rest, so that her body could fully heal and adapt to the mature magic within her.  
  
-x-  
  
“Rose stop! We were  _ talking! _ ” Ariana snapped, trying to slide between her friend and Derek. She had been talked to Derek. They had both been leaning against the wall, talking quietly about things she'd rather not tell her friend about. She knew Rose wouldn't understand why she was talking to the younger bully. There was absolutely no reason for her friend to suddenly attack the other teen, as Rose had just entered this hallway and suddenly was hitting and kicking Derek, who was trying very hard to not hurt the girl. “Rose!”  
  
Derek grimaced as fingernails dug into his skin and a spell washed over him. He groaned as the first flashes of pain filled his body. The smaller girl was still hitting him and that did not help with the pain at all. He tried moving his arms to protect his body but the jolt of pain stopped him. Something was wrong, he couldn't stop the pain and he wasn't sure if Rose was causing it or not. It felt like his magic was boiling.  
  
“Ariana?” Isaac questioned, glancing between Rose, who was hitting Derek, and Ariana, who was trying to pull the younger girl away.  
  
“Help me Isaac! She won't stop!” She flinched, ignoring the pain from being elbowed in the face for a moment.  
  
He frowned, quickly moving to try and pull Rose off of Derek. The longer he watched, the more he could tell that it wasn't exactly a fight. Derek was trying to protect his face but he was not fighting back. No, the younger boy seemed to be struggling to even stand at this point. Isaac wrapped his arms around Rose's waist, pulling her away from the other teen for a moment before her foot connected with his still healing leg and he let go, swearing softly. He tried to grab her again, catching Derek's eyes. The words he was going to say to the boy, to suggest that he move as soon as he had hold of her, died on his lips. The blond's mouth was open and his eyes showed terror. Something was terribly wrong. He tried to cast a shield around him, to try and add some protection, but the shield would not stay. “Ariana, get help!” He ordered, trying to move his body physically between the two. Rose almost seemed possessed.  
  
“Hurts.” Derek moaned, fighting to keep his arm between his body and Rose. Isaac was helping the pain, by pulled her back over and over again, but his body felt weak and battered. It wasn't a good feeling.  
  
Eric paused, staring at the scene in front of him for a long moment. There was magic surrounding Derek that shouldn't be there, a spell that none of these teens should know. But there was also magic in Rose that he hadn't noticed before. Magic that wasn't her own. When Ariana had found him, on his way to hospital wing to check on Emma, the words she had babbled hadn't really made sense. But now he could understand exactly what she couldn't say. He strode toward the three teens, moving to lift Rose off of Derek. Whatever magic surrounded Derek easily accepted him and he pulled her away, his arm around her waist and holding her so her feet weren't touching the ground. Experience had taught him that if a child was set down after a fight, they would either jump back into the fight or run. He had no plans to chase down a fifteen year old girl today. He freed his wand, canceling the spell on Derek. The boy relaxed the moment the spell ended. He ignored the feet kicking him for a moment, surveying each of the other three teenagers for a moment, trying to see which ones were injured.  
“Ariana, will you support Isaac please?” He inquired, frowning at the girl he was holding.  
  
Ariana nodded, slinging one of Isaac's arms over her shoulder. She could easily tell that his leg was injured, again. He grunted as she shifted him, moving more of his weight onto herself. She needed to help Derek too, though. He didn't seem like he could stand for much longer.  
  
“If I put you down, do you promise to follow me and not to start fighting again?” He asked briskly, brown eyes glancing at her before going to the blond boy. The girl had finally stopped fighting him, her head leaning against his chest.  
  
Rose hesitated for a moment before nodding. She wouldn't fight him. She wasn't sure why but she wanted to obey Eric, her magic relaxed when he had picked her up. It was weird. She had been feeling off since Sunday evening and she was just so full of emotions that didn't make sense to her. She stumbled for a moment when he set her down, before quickly regaining her balance. She moved pass Derek, to the other side of Isaac. She didn't look at the boy, moving his arm over her shoulder so that she could help Ariana. She had a feeling that Eric, and Derek, would not want her near Derek.  
  
He murmured a feather-light spell before stashing his wand and resting a hand on the boy's shoulder. “I'm going to pick you up, Derek. That will make it easier on your body.” He explained calmly, waiting for the boy's nod before lifting him up and into his arms. While the boy was heavier than many of the other teens, he could still easily carry him over his arms like he would any sick child. He made sure that Derek was situated before heading off, knowing that the three teens would follow behind them. The closest place to take the four of them would be his and Tim's quarters. Better so that he also knew Tim was in their quarters at the moment, working on a plan for a certain headmistress' health.  
  
-x-  
  
Tim frowned, looking up from his notebook, as the door to his and Eric's quarters swung open and Eric strode into the room, carrying a teenager. “What happened?” He inquired, moving quickly to get whichever med kit was closest.  
  
“That's what I'd like to know.” He responded, nodding when his partner opened the door to one of the spare bedrooms that they had set up as a medical room. He gently laid the child down, reaching to take the med kit from Tim.  _ “If you can tend to the injuries on Ariana and Isaac, I will heal Derek and get him to sleep. Do not let Rose leave.”  
  
_ He could feel the anger in the older man's tone, which was surprising because Eric had such iron control that he rarely felt the other man's emotions, unless they were directed at him.  _ “Did she...” _ Tim trailed off, rising an eyebrow when Eric nodded.  _ “Alright. I'll go check Isaac's leg and look over Ariana then.”  
  
“Tim? Look at Rose's magic.” _ He suggested silently, resting a hand on Derek's chest and the other on the boy's shoulder, before letting his magic sink into the child.  
  
Tim blinked, staring at his partner for a moment before returning to the sitting room where the three teens were. Ariana had managed to get Isaac into a chair and Rose was standing off by herself, leaning against the wall. He cast a silent locking spell to the door, to keep all of the teenagers there until they figured out what had happened before turning sharp eyes to Rose. He let his eyes shift for a moment, observing the magic in the room before focusing on the magic within the teenage girl. This was a draining way of using his own magic, if he did it for too long, but just for a few seconds would do no harm to him. He froze, watching the magic that was wrapped around her. Parts of that magic was not hers. She was carrying other magic within her. He shook his head, letting his eyes adjust back to the way he normally saw magic, turning his attention to Isaac. It didn't take an exam for him to tell that the boy's broken leg, which had been healing nicely and was almost complete, had been re-broken. He moved over to the boy, summoning a footstool. “Isaac? I want to check you for injuries, okay? I also want to look at that leg of yours.” He stated softly, catching the child's eyes for a moment.  
  
Isaac grimaced but nodded, fighting down a flinch when the man waved his wand over him. He had a feeling that his leg was broken. Other than a few scrapes and bruises, that was the worst of it though.  
  
Tim rested a hand on the child's shoulder, sending bits of his magic through the boy. He shifted so that he was sitting on the footstool and gently moved the child's leg onto his lap. He traced the bone with his wand, realigning it, before stashing his wand and letting the magic go through his finger tips. Touch-healing was one of the best ways to repair damage, after all. It was also more personal and soothing than a wand. He sighed softly, watching new bone form around the break before gently removing his magic and summoning a wrap. He wrapped the teen's leg, tapping the wrap to harden it into a cast before charming it to stay dry and clean. He then summoned a jar of bruise balm. Tim slowly started applying it to the teen's arms. He raised an eyebrow at Isaac, stilling his hands. At the child's nod, he carefully rubbed the balm into his cheek and neck. While he wasn't sure what had happened to cause these injuries on his child, he did know one thing. Isaac was becoming more comfortable with them.  
  
Ariana grunted, letting the older man examine her for a moment. She still flinched when he rubbed bruise balm into her face. Unlike Isaac, Rose had done little damage to her. She wasn't sure what had caused her friend to act like this, especially unprovoked. It wasn't like Rose. “Is Derek going to be okay?”She asked finally, breaking the silence.  
  
“He should be. Eric is taking care of him, he is in good hands.” Tim responded, moving to sit down in his leather armchair. He wave a hand toward the other chairs, glancing at the two girls.  
  
“What happened Ari?” Isaac caught the blond girl's eyes, tilting his head toward Rose.  
  
She grimaced, shaking her own head. “Derek and I were just talking.” She shrugged, turning her eyes to Rose as the younger girl snorted.  
“Yeah, right. You shouldn't talk to him.” Rose growled, folding her arms over her chest.  
  
“I would like to know what caused this, Rose.” Eric stepped fully into the room, shutting the door to where Derek was sleeping. “While you might not like Derek, that is not a reason to harm anyone.”  
  
Tim tilted his head, watching how the girl's whole demeanor seemed to change the moment Eric came into the room. He had a feeling he knew exactly what was going on with Rose, he just hoped he was wrong. It would complicate a few things, although it might make a few other easier. Since Eric was going to become the girl's Master, they would become her guardians.  


“I didn't mean to hurt him. I just...couldn't.” Rose shrugged, not meeting the dark-skinned healer's eyes.  


“It was like you were possessed.” Isaac offered quietly. The look in Rose's eyes had bothered him but it had not frightened him as much as Derek's eyes had.  
  
“What couldn't you do, Rose?” Tim inquired, frowning when the child glared at him.  
  
She shrugged, looking away from the other healer. She didn't have to answer him. He wouldn't understand anyway. None of them would. She wasn't even sure if she could explain it. She had just been angry. Not at Derek, just in general. And when she saw the bully talking to her friend, she couldn't control that anger. She hadn't been able to stop, she hadn't wanted to. She wasn't even sure what the spell she cast had done to Derek, wasn't quite sure where it had come from.  
  
“What spell did you cast?” Eric questioned firmly, meeting hazel eyes for a brief moment before the girl looked away again with a shrug. “You don't know? Or you don't care?”  
  
She bit her lip, glancing at her two friends and then toward the door to where Derek was. “I don't know what the spell was. It kind of just happened.” She whispered finally.  
  
_ “Fuck.”  _   
  
Eric glanced toward his partner, raising an eyebrow at him in question.  _ “I know.”  
  
“Whose magic is she channeling though? She has bits of yours and Alexis, as well as a tint I can't connect to a person.”  _ Tim forced down a sigh, meeting his eyes.  
  
_ “Alexis said she was a little leech. I didn't think she meant literally. The three of us are now connected. That complicates things.”  
  
“Particularly if she is casting spells she doesn't remember learning, spells that have been cast by another's magic. Magic does learn and store those spells inside a person.”  
  
“The real question is, Tim, what the hell has Alexis been casting and how will it effect a fifteen year old who doesn't know better than to react? If Rose is feeling emotions that she cannot understand, that would explain why she lost control of herself, and possibly her magic. It would also explain why I have felt a little distracted since that night. I wonder if Alexis has realized what happened yet.”  _ Eric responded silently, sighing softly. If Rose had bits of his and Alexis' magic, and the castle's, within her, then it was likely that he had bits of her and Alexis' magic as well. It would explain why he had been feeling irritable and off lately. Being connected to another by magic wasn't exactly unusual, but usually those connections were forged with blood-bonds or through familial magic. The ritual they had done had caused magic to pass from one of them to another. That mean they were going to have to teach Rose to control her emotions, since her magic would now be shaped both by herself and by their magic. It was only slightly different than the bond between a master and apprentice.  
  
Isaac watched the two men, furrowing his brow in thought. The way the two of them were starring at each other, it was almost as if they were having a conversation. And maybe they were, to be fair. He had read about mind to mind communication, but usually that was because of a one-way spell. Perhaps this was something different that he could research.  
  
“Then you are going to have to learn control, Rose. Spells like that cannot be allowed to just happen. You could have killed Derek.” Eric remarked finally.  
  
She paled, staring at the older man for a long moment. “But I wasn't trying to. I just wanted... I don't even know! I was just angry and he was there!” Rose snapped, ignoring her two friends for the moment. She knew both of them were looking at her like she lost her mind. And perhaps she had. She couldn't quite identify the emotions she was feeling or where they were coming from. She even felt a bit helpless and she just didn't know why. It was aggravating and confusing, like her mind had a mind of its own.  
  
“Rose.” Eric responded softly, catching the girl's eyes for a long moment. He could almost  _ feel _ her calm down. He could understand her frustration of course. She was a teenage girl, she barely had control of her own emotions on a good day. But with her magic now containing bits of both his and Alexis' magic, her emotions and thoughts were bound to be out of control until she learned to control it. He would have it easier than both of the younger women, partly because of his age but also because he was blood-bonded to Tim. He had learned how to control his own emotions and what he felt from his partner years ago. Alexis would have to be informed of this change in the three of thems magic. As should Rose. “When we completed that ritual Saturday, part of our magic changed. You gained bits of Alexis' and my magic, just as we both gained bits of yours. So what you are feeling, no matter how irrational it is to you, is understandable. Magic carries with it the imprint of its caster. After I speak with Alexis, the two of us will teach you how to control it. It is not that much different than the bond between a master and apprentice, it just manifests itself differently.” He explained, focusing solely on the young woman. He could hear Tim speaking quietly to Isaac and Ariana but his attention was for the fifteen year old leech, the girl who carried not just his and Alexis' magic, but probably Hogwarts magic as well. He could see in her eyes that she did understand, to an extent. But he wasn't so sure she wouldn't try to experiment with this new mix of magic. He would have to speak to Alexis and soon, perhaps before Tim, Filius, and he sat her down for a talk about her health. She'd be less likely to hex him then, at least.  
  
-x-  
  
“Well that explains why you now have Hogwarts magic within you. “ Alexis frowned in thought, eyes focused on the grounds outside and the groups of teenagers she could see from here. She had noticed that her own magic felt off, that something had changed, but she had just assumed she was still carrying extra magic from the castle, which she was, not magic from two other people. Which meant a teenage girl was carrying Hogwarts' magic. That could be dangerous, for the school and the girl. “I take it this means we need to teach her control and quickly.” She added, smiling slightly at the two boys she could see.  
  
“Something caught your eye?”  
  
“Mhm. I believe I just witness my son's first kiss. About time. He's been driving his brothers and I crazy with the letter writing.” She turned away from the window, meeting brown eyes for a moment. “Rose wasn't the only reason you came here.” She stated, looking away from him.  
  
Eric sighed softly, watching as she turned away from him once more. “She's not, no.” He knew that even if he could see her expression that it would be a blank mask. The only emotion would be in those steel colored eyes. “Filius and Tim will be joining us momentarily.” He added quietly, releasing his pendent. The other two men had agreed to him speaking to her first, before she started fighting them.  
  
“No Henry?” She asked silkily, not bothering to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. Her eyes darted toward the nearest exit and she forced her body language to remain empty, to be blank. If she could only get to her quarters...  
  
“Of course not. This is a family affair.” He responded, ignoring her tone for a moment. He didn't mention that he had spoke to Henry, to see what the ever-watchful man had noticed. He narrowed his eyes, ignoring the floo that sounded behind him. The headmistress' body had gone tense, as if she was about to try running. After all these years, she was still going to run. Not that she would get far.  
  
She had moved as soon as the floo sounded, having expected Eric to turn toward the floo. She was halfway toward the door when a stinging spell made contact with her bottom and a locking spell flew past her to her door. She groaned, turning to face the three men who were watching her with raised eyebrows.  
  
“You should know better than to run by now, Alexis. You wouldn't like it if one of your students or younger staff members tried to run when you wanted to have a conversation with them. You don't run from us.” Tim remarked dryly, frowning at the young woman. Even with her glamours up, she looked exhausted.  


Filius waved his hand toward the couches and armchairs in her office, beckoning her to follow him. He wished, briefly, that one of them had arranged this conversation right after she became Headmistress. At least they had caught it before it was too late. But that didn't mean his daughter wouldn't fight them on this. Headmistress she may be, but they were the oldest members of her family and two of them were Heads of the family. It was past time for her to start taking her health seriously. He knew just how stubborn she could be though, this wasn't going to be an easy conversation.  
  
She grimace, sitting carefully on her usual armchair. “Was that necessary?” She muttered, avoiding the eyes of the three fatherly figures in her life. She blinked, frowning at the urge to sulk. While she was stubborn and tended to do what she wanted to, consequences be damned, Alexis did not sulk. Not since she was a teenager, anyway. Because that was a teenage emotion, the feeling that the world was against you and that sulking was the only acceptable way to show that. She remembered the feeling from when she was a teenager, as it wasn't that long ago. “I see what you mean about the emotions.” She remarked offhandedly, glancing toward Eric. She could only imagine how Rose felt, as Rose was at the age where her emotions were all jumbled and to now have some adult emotions flowing through her magic? That would have to feel chaotic.  
  
Eric sighed softly. “While our new connection to Rose is important, there are more pressing matters that the four of us need to discuss. Such as your use of wide-awake potions that you spike your coffee with or the nutritional potions you down, at Minzi's insistent, so that you can skip meals.”  
  
“Damn elf.” She growled, glaring at the floor. There was a small hole in the rug, probably from a preteen, but she had not noticed it before. Interesting.  
  
“That 'damn' elf is trying to keep you alive. I know you don't quite grasp the importance of that but since you are now _headmistress_ of a school full of children and young adults who look to you for guidance, you have to start caring about your health Alexis. Because those children are going to model your behaviour. I know you don't care about yourself, but you do care for every person in this castle. So you are going to have to change the way you treat yourself, otherwise you won't be around long enough to help these children.” Filius stated softly, eyes focused intently on his daughter. When grey eyes flicked to him, he knew she was listening. But it was time she did more than just listen. “Eric, Tim, and I have decided that you are not capable of tending to your own health.” He added. The fear in her eyes was almost heart-breaking and the way her mouth had dropped was so child-like that he had to fight to keep his will. He hated having put that look on her face but he knew this was necessary.  


Eric steeled his heart against her terrified eyes, meeting them firmly. “We know that this will not be an easy journey, but it is something that needs to be handled before school starts back. We want you to be healthy, Alexis. I know that you feel neglecting your health will benefit your students, but it will not. Some things are going to have to change.”  
  
She was perfectly capable of tending to her own health. She was an adult! Even if she knew that within wizarding culture, she was considered barely old enough to sign her own contracts. Almost all of her counselors had a co-signer on their contracts with the school, because they could not legally sign for themselves. Hell, Filius was considered to be middle-aged and he was over seventy. Wizards lived longer than mundanes, so their youth lasted longer. She knew that, she just didn't particularly like it. She especially didn't like it when they treated her like she was still young. She knew she was young. But she also knew that she was responsible for over six hundred children come September, and all the staff that it took to run an efficient school. Maybe that was more responsibility than people her age usually had but she was perfectly capable of doing her job. So shouldn't they treat her like she was? Instead of the girl that they had all, at one point or another, taken care of? “Look, I'm an adult and while I appreciate your concern, I can handle it.” She responded finally, trying to keep her voice and face as neutral as possible. She was capable of taking care of herself, she just tended not to do so.  
  
Tim snorted, shaking his head for a moment before turning to catch Eric's eye. “Remember when she said that when she was about twenty-one?”  
  
He chuckled warm brown eyes meeting gray before turning to Filius. “She said, and I quote 'I'm an adult, I work with dragon riders for Merlin's sake'. Although there was a bit of shouting and tantrum-throwing involved as well.” He explained, smirking at the smaller man. “Remind me to show you that memory later.”  
  
Alexis scowled, glaring at the two healers for a moment. “That's not the point.”  
  
“No it's not. It doesn't matter if you are an adult. You are neglecting your health. As the Heads of your family and your healer, we can intervene and we will. I know you don't particularly like change Alexis and it has been a summer of change, but this is necessary. I know you want to see your children grow up, just as I want to watch mine continue to grow. Tim has drawn up a plan for your health that Eric and I agree with. You will eat and sleep on a regular schedule. We know that the sleeping part might be difficult, with your duties, but it is something that we can work on. Unless there is a student or staff member who needs you, or the castle requires your attention, I want you in bed by midnight. Paperwork can wait until the morning. We would also like you to delegate more of that work. You have members of the teaching staff in residence, use them. They won't mind handling a bit of paperwork.” Filius stopped when she snorted, raising an eyebrow. “Something funny, Alexis?”  
  
“Just the part about it being 'a bit' of paperwork.” She chuckled, before returning her full attention to the three men. She didn't particularly like what he was saying, but that didn't mean he wasn't right.  
  
“ As Filius was saying, we will help you figure out a schedule that works for dealing with all the work running a school requires. Tim will keep up with your physical health, including all of the potions you take. You know better than to mix a wide-awake potion with caffeine. If you become so tired that you need to do so, then you need to delegate whatever task needs to be done to Severus and sleep for a few hours. You will not be doing something as dangerous as mixing potions like that again or you will answer to me. We taught you better than that. We would also like you to speak with a mind-healer but that is something for you to decide. I did find one that I trust and believe would work well with you. You are under a lot of stress, Alexis. Having someone to talk to can help handle that stress before it makes you destructive. You are always welcome to talk to any of us, however we also understand that there are somethings you'd rather not say to us. And that's alright, as long as you are talking to someone.” Eric finished, tapping his fingers on his knees for a moment. That was all they really needed to say. That they were going to help her sort out this responsibility while still taking care of herself and that they were there for her, no matter what.  
  
She bit her lip, thinking it over. Honestly, it could have been worse and she knew that. Alexis remembered quite well the last time Eric and Tim had felt the need to step in. That had been a hard, and sometimes painful, six weeks. But she knew that this time would be different. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she needed the help. She had her students and staff to worry about. And she knew her body need food and sleep, she could just never find the time. Because there was always some piece of work that needed to be finished or a child needing to be soothed, or a counselor needing advice... There was always some bit of work she had to do. She loved her job, she would love it even more without all the unnecessary paperwork, but she did know when she was a bit overwhelmed. There was just so much to do and not enough time. “Okay.” She replied softly, meeting the dark skinned healer's eyes before looking at her adoptive father. “Okay. I will think about seeing the mind-healer and I will allow you to help me. I need it.” She added, biting her lip for a second before looking down. She hated admitting that she needed help. Hated it. She shifted slightly in her seat, glancing at the two healers again. “ I am, however, still better than I was when I first found the two of you.”  
  
Tim smirked, catching her eye. “Found us? We found you child. “ He smiled slightly, tilting his head toward Filius. “Has she told you that story yet, Filius?” He inquired, raising a brow when Alexis groaned. Probably not then.  
  
“Only that her previous master could not handle her and passed her on to you.” Filius reply, glancing at the younger woman. He would love to know more of her past, even if he already accepted her as his daughter. He was curious as to her past, the true complete version, not the bits she shared when she had a little too much fire-whiskey and her brother was taunting her.  
  
Eric shook his head, meeting warm silver eyes for a moment. “Alexis?”  
  
“Go ahead.” She shrugged. She knew quite well that neither of the men who had raised her as a teenager would tell her story without her permission. Sure, they might tell some of the interesting bits, like her first word or first fight, her first job even. But the darker parts of her, where she came from, they wouldn't share without her permission. But Filius was planning to adopt her and it was a story she had told her brother, after all. Pieces anyway.  
“We found her on the streets of Austria....”  
_ \---  
There were two men not far down the road, foreigners. She could always tell which ones were the foreigners. These two though, they didn't seem as unused to the area as most foreigners were. Perhaps they had came here once or twice before, but that didn't matter to her. She was cold, dirty, and hungry. And they were easy targets. Because unlike all of the other foreigners in town that week, there must be a meeting of them or something, they didn't travel in a crowd and they kept wandering away from each other. If she could get close enough, she could sneak their purses and they would never know it.  
  
“ _ We're being followed.”  _ He caught a glimpse of the girl in a shop window, not bothering to look at his partner. The best thing about being able to speak mind to mind was that the girl wouldn't know that they had noticed her.  
  
Eric drifted to look at a fruit-sellers good, watching her move out of the corner of his eye. “ _ She can't be older than twelve or thirteen. You see that magic on her? She was someone's apprentice, so..”  
  
“Either she ran away because she had a bad master or she's been abandoned. She looks too young to be an apprentice. The locals ignore her though, so she's been on these streets for a while.”  
  
_ She slipped, unnoticed, into a crowd of locals, until she was close enough to the dark-skinned man to take his pouch but he moved before she could. She sighed softly,watching the man move back to the light-skinned man and hand him a piece of fruit. She turned to the fruit seller with her saddest eyes, poking her lip out. The old woman huffed and tossed her a bruised apple. Frau Konner always kept the bruised food for the street kids, she had found that out her first few days in this area. But unlike the other street kids in this town, she traveled alone and she didn't openly beg. She wasn't trying to draw any more attention to herself than necessary. She kept her eyes on the couple, taking a bite out of her apple as they stopped at a store front.  
  
He narrowed his eyes, watching her in the reflection of the window. She was a smart one, always moving almost out of view so that most travelers wouldn't know they were being followed. They were here for a major, international healing conference. Not to pick up a young street kid whose magic showed clear. It almost seemed like.. “ _ Does it look like her core has matured to you?”  _ Tim questioned silently, leaning into his partner for a moment. Clearly the street vendors knew her, if the apple she had was any indication. Perhaps they would know who she belonged to.  
  
_ “Now that you mentioned it, yes it does. So she can't be twelve. But she looks way too young to be seventeen or eighteen.”  _ Eric raised an eyebrow, watching a small group of what was clearly street children give the girl a wide berth, as if they were afraid to get too close to her. As if the girl was dangerous or violent.  _ “I switched my purses, let her snatch the false one and we will track her this evening after the panel.” _ He could feel how intrigued his husband was, he had a feeling that if they couldn't find the girl's master, that they might just be taking her with them. He had not seen magic that clear in a young person since they adopted their son.  
  
Tim nodded, turning to move on ahead of the older man. He kept walking for a minute before turning into one of the little shops, watching his partner out of the corner of his eye. Eric had moved toward a man selling books, his back to the street child. The child who was moving swiftly toward his husband. He watched as a small hand slipped into the outside pocket on Eric's robe and then the girl was moving fast, slipping down an alley and out of sight. She had taken the bait, then. Good.  
  
-  
  
Eric gave off a soft sigh as they took another turn. For a small town, there was a labyrinth of alleys and side streets. They had been following the tracker for nearly an hour. It seemed like the child was on the move. But as dark as it was getting, she should be settling down somewhere soon.  
  
She scowled, climbing the drainage pipe behind one of the larger shops. Her usual sleep-spot had been taken over by a group of young runaways. As she knew how safe that spot was, she couldn't force them out, not knowing where they came from. So she had shared the bread she bought with them before moving onward and up. There were very few safe spots on the ground, even further away from the marketplace. But she knew which store owners wouldn't care if she slept on their roof, as long as she did something for them in return. So she could easily use this roof to access the other ones, by  
jumping.  
  
So far they had come across two different groups of children and a few older adults. But that girl was no where to be seen. And now they were at a brick wall, literally. The trail ended here but there was no girl. Tim shook his head, he wasn't going to give up. They couldn't save all of the street children, even if Eric had left a few well placed coins for them to find, but this one..There was just something about this one that called to them. As if their magic was seeking her.  
  
Eric narrowed his eyes, frowning at the pipe running up the side of the building. There was what looked like a foot print, halfway up the wall. The spell he had placed on the purse was still tugging at him. It was tugging up though, until it suddenly started moving again. “I think she might be up high.” He murmured softly, nudging his partner. “Let's keep following it from the ground.”  
  
She moved swiftly from rooftop to rooftop before settling down onto of one of the non-magical shops. It didn't have wards that would zap her if she stayed still for too long. She was on top of a tailor's shop now and he was a good enough person. He would often trade a sleeping spot in his workroom for chores to whichever street child was willing to work. Sometimes she ran errands for him in exchange for a hot meal and use of his shower. She only hoped she could stick around until Saint Nicholas day this year, as he always left a box of oranges, chocolate, and clothing behind the shop for the street children. That's how she had gotten the  _ clothes _ she was wearing, after all. Her other outfit was too identifying so that she could rarely wear it outside or people would ask questions. Questions she'd rather not answer. She settled down in a corner of the roof, her back against the low outer wall.  
  
_ “She's up there. But how do  _ we _ get up there? Or do we just wait until tomorrow?” _ Tim inquired silently, eyes examining the roof. It had a low wall surrounding it but they had seen movement for a brief moment. No child should feel that they had to sleep on a roof to be safe.  
  
“ _ We'll come back in the morning. We don't want to startle her into running, not if we want to talk to her.” _ Eric decided. If she was settling down on this roof, it meant she would stay put for the night. They didn't have any meetings or panels first thing tomorrow morning, so they could easily come back. With the tracer still on the pouch they would be able to find her, as long as she carried it. He turned, catching his partner's hand and gently tugging the younger man with him. It was time to go back to the hotel but they would be back.  
  
-  
  
She ignored the thwack of wood against her skin, moving faster than the shop keeper. It was almost like a game they played, where one older street kid would dart around him, letting the little ones grab what they could. She might not travel in the groups and she might not beg, but she loved irritating the old man and the little ones could always use the extra food. That and if he didn't want to feed them, he wouldn't put the older pastries on lower racks, right where little hands could grab. He wouldn't wrap a loaf of fresh bread in cloth and slip it to the smallest child. He would hit harder with his broom and he wouldn't smile like he was. The only time she had seen him angry was when there was a fight over the bread, when someone didn't want to share it with the little ones. He had whacked both of them with his wooden spoon. The boy for being selfish and her for stabbing him. While the baker had whacked the boy once and sent him on to a healer, not that she had cut him that badly, he had waited until she had given the bread out and the little ones had taken off, before whacking her bottom with his spoon several times and lecturing her. But he never brought it up again and she had to wonder if that was what having parents felt like. Having someone hold her accountable and then still care about her was something she had not experienced often. She stopped her little dance with him, watching the little one dart out with the bread. “Danke sch _ _ ö _ _ n.” She whispered, taking the pastry he had placed just for her before slipping out the door. She walked past the alley where the little one was passing out chucks of bread, nodding to them as she went, before taking a bite of the pastry. She grinned as the warmth filled her. It was still hot!  
_

_ Tim sighed in frustration, glaring at Eric when the older man wasn't looking. His partner had asked around last night and they found a healer missing an apprentice, one he claim ran away and that he would be happy to give them. The man claimed that the girl had ran away in Hamburg, Germany. While that wasn't terribly far, it would be for a child on foot. Why he never reported the girl missing was a story he wasn't drunk enough to share. He was aggravated that Eric had taken longer than he felt necessary to leave the hotel. And that this search was leading from one dead end to another. The girl was already on the move, it seemed.  
_

_ Eric frowned, stopping at a bakery. The trail seemed to dart in and out of the place several times. While it did continue on, he was curious if the store owner would know anything about the young woman.  _ “Come Tim.” _ He ordered silently, glancing at his partner. He knew the other man was agitated, he could feel it, but he wasn't going to let his partner hex another healer, even if the man was in the wrong. This girl might not even be his apprentice. But he doubted that. He glanced around the shop, spotting the baker who was whistling as he set out freshly baked bread.  
  
“What can I get for you gentlemen?” He inquired, setting the still warm bread in its spot. “I have fresh fruit pastries. Best in the country.” He tilted his head, watching how the younger one's eyes kept darting about. Mages then, probably noticed the fire charm a certain young girl had placed.  
  
“It smells delicious. We'll take two.” Eric responded with a smile, barely glancing at the pastries.  
  
“Your German is flawless, but that accent is French, no?”  
  
Tim raised an eyebrow, glancing as his partner for a moment. Not many people noticed that Eric had a very faint accent and no one had ever pinpointed it down like that. “Yes, we live in France, usually.”  
  
“I was wondering if you could tell us anything about a street child, a girl.” Eric inquired, accepting the wrapped pastries and passing over the euros for them.  
  
“There are many street children, lots are girls. Why do you ask?” If he had to guess, he knew exactly which child they were asking about. They were not the first mages to notice her but most usually forgot quickly about her.  
  
“She's around sixteen or seventeen, small, and she has hair that I think is black. Grey eyes.” Tim had noticed, when he caught sight of her following them in the window, that she had grey eyes. While he couldn't be certain if her hair was actually black or just dirty, there was no hiding those eyes.  
  
Eric frowned, watching the baker for a moment. The other man had gone from friendly to unwelcoming in seconds. Perhaps that man cared about the street children, it would explain why they saw several happily munching on pastries. “We mean her no harm. We can both see magic and hers is strong, and untrained. We are both healers and while we think she was an apprentice at one point, we just want to talk to her. Magic as clear and strong as hers needs training before it accidentally lashes out.” He replied quietly. There was magic all over this shop, little spells and charms meant to prevent fires and protect against bugs and theft. Charms that had a magical signature that matched the girl's magic.  
  
“Not the magic you have to worry about. She has a temper, once stabbed another child right in front of me!” The baker huffed, trying to look shocked. Not that he had been shocked when it happened. But that story was the one that caused most folks to forget about her.  
  
Tim blinked, meeting Eric's eyes for a moment. Was the man trying to intimate them? Because that wasn't going to happen. They were healers for children and teenagers. He was a mind healer for gods sake. A simple incident like that wasn't enough to push they off track. “I bet she didn't just stab him randomly. My partner is a pediatric healer and I am a adolescent and young adult mindhealer. We are both touch healers. We mean her no harm. But a stabbing? That's nothing in our world.”  
  
He chuckled then, losing the urge to dissuade them. He liked these two men, it helped that they were healers but he also liked the personality he could sense from each of them.. He'd even bet that while the brown-haired man acted tough and strict, the dark skinned man was the one you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of. Hell, if they could talk Lexi into leaving the street life, if they could give her a home, then he would let them try. She was stubborn though. “She is younger than you think but she doesn't know how old she is. You have a test for that, yes? Her hair is black, Hans lets her use his shower for errands. Sometimes, on very cold nights, she sleeps in front of the ovens here or in Hans workroom. She's a very private child, rarely talks about her self but she'll fight for the little ones. Hans told me she slept on his roof last night, so she must have given them her usual place. She showed up about six months ago, right as winter started. Other than that, I don't know that much about her. “ He responded finally, moving to place the rest of the pastries on their racks. He always fed the children before he opened so that they wouldn't scare away any foreigners looking for breakfast. The locals were used to the children, a mix of magical and regular street kids, but the foreigners were afraid of them. Without the constant movement of tourists through their little mixed town, they wouldn't have as many street kids. Some of the kids were brought along by foreigners and then were either abandoned or ran away. Or the children made their way here on their own, heading toward Vienna. He knew that was where Lexi had been planning on going before she decided to hang around for a bit.  
  
“Do you know where she tends to frequent?” Eric questioned, storing the bits of knowledge for later. If the child didn't know how old she was that meant she had been on the streets a lot longer than they had thought or that she was on the streets before becoming an apprentice. Neither option set well with him.  
  
“Those kids are all over the market. Lexi tends to go shop to shop, helping out, through out the day. I would try the smithery and then the butcher. It's stew day, so she will be at the butchers about an hour before lunch. All of them will be.”The baker responded, going to remove a tray of bread from the nearby oven. What he wouldn't tell them was that he had noticed when Lexi helped out, she also tended to leave with a foreigners purse in her pocket. She wouldn't steal from the townsfolk but she did tend to rob the foreigners blind. When he had spoken to her about it, she had told him that she was trying to teach the foreigners to pay attention to their surroundings.  
  
“Thank you.” Tim replied,taking a bite of his pastry as he made his way back outside. Businesses were starting to open, so if they wanted to find the child before the crowds came in, they would need to hurry.  
  
Alexis frowned in concentration, waving her hand a bit erratically at the coals. She was suppose to be heating them to temperature but Fonzell had told her to not use the bellows. He wanted her to raise the temperature with her magic, she just wasn't sure that she could.  
_

_ “Lexi, no. You will burn my workshop down. Control your magic and direct it child.” The large muscular man instructed. He usually did it manually, as well, but when forging magical items, instead of mundane forging, using a magical fire was often better. Besides, if the towns people didn't teach the street children how to control and use their magic, no one would. That's why the kids hung around for so long, instead of just moving on. He sighed, setting down his hammer at the tingle on the bell. Someone was entering his shop. He shook his head at the girl, when she went to move toward the storefront. “I got it, Lexi. Keep working on it. Remember you control your magic, it doesn't control you.” He added, heading up front.  
  
She grumbled under her breath, even though she knew he couldn't hear, and tried again. This time she tried pointing instead of just waving about. Her face split into a grin when the numbers on the thermometer started rising slowly. She was doing it! She kept at it for several minutes, not bothering to turn away from the fire when Fonzell came back. “No good customer?”  
  
“Not exactly. Good job Lexi! That's good control but I need you to turn around please. These gentlemen would like to speak to you and I want you to try to listen.” Fonzell ordered softly. It had taken several minutes for the men to convince him of their intentions toward this child. He didn't detect deceit which was why he had brought them back here to speak with her.  
_

_ She turned to meet his eyes, glancing at the men he mentioned and froze. Those were the men she robbed yesterday. Well, it wasn't really a robbery. It was more of a lightening of their pockets without their knowledge. “I didn't do it.” Why would Fonzell do this to her? He had protected her from angry tourists before, not that the two men looked angry. She wasn't quite sure what they were feeling, to be honest. Both had neutral masks up.  
_

_ He chuckled, shaking his head. “I'm sure you didn't, Kind. I'll be up front.” Fonzell remarked, addressing the last to the two gentlemen. There was only one way out of his work room and that was through the front, so he would know if Lexi decided to run.  
  
Eric nodded in understanding, brown eyes never leaving the young woman. She looked like she could flee at any moment. “Hello Lexi, is it? We don't want to hurt you, we just want to talk.”  
  
“Got nothing to say.” She shrugged, eyes darting between them.  
  
“ That's okay. You don't have to say anything but we just ask that you listen. We are healers Lexi, touch healers. We both also see magic and yours is clear and strong. But untrained. I noticed that Herr Fonzell has you working on control and while that is great, you need further training.” Tim responded slowly, keeping his body language open and his movements minimal. They didn't want to scare her away, after all.  
  
“Don't need no training.” She wasn't about to become the servant of yet another wizard, not after what her past 'master' had done to her.  
  
“Really? You never have accidents, where something happens and you harm someone by mistake or your magic lashes out? You've never felt out of control? Don't you want to be able to control your magic Lexi, so that it doesn't hurt someone innocent? Don't you want to do more with it?”  
_

_ “You spin pretty lies but I no being sold again.” She hissed, eyes flashing. Hadn't she heard the same before? Hadn't she been promised control once before? The best training she had was when the hedge-witch taught her for a few months, and that was simple charms of protection and spells.  
  
Eric blinked, forcing his face to remain neutral and trying to keep his inner thoughts and emotions calm. He could feel his husband's struggle to not give in to anger.  _ “Easy. We don't know what she means by sold.”  _ He send silently, keeping his tone as calming as possibly. Tim was quicker to anger but they didn't need that now. Not with a scared girl in front of them. “Sold? No one is buying or selling anyone. We can see your magic, Lexi. We know you were an apprentice before. Whatever happened there is not happening here. We don't want to buy you, we want to help you. To teach you how to use your magic so it doesn't consume you, so that you don't accidentally burn down someone's stall again. So that you can sleep at night without fearing what might happen if you have a nightmare We've been there child. We both had dealt with our own magic being out of control, with having to learn to harness it differently, because our magic works differently. So does yours. No matter how you try, I bet it's hard to channel it through a typical wand. I would even be willing to bet that you have shattered your fair share of wands. Let us help you. We can protect you from whatever you are running from. We can teach you control.” Eric stated quietly, watching the emotion in those young eyes. The baker was right, now that they were face to face with her, she couldn't be more than fifteen years old.  
_

_ “Why should I believe you?”  
  
“You have no reason to believe us, whatsoever. But, I hope you do. We want to offer you safety and protection. We want to give you a place to live, a home, and to train you how to use your magic. You don't have to believe us, but I hope you do.” Tim added calmly, meeting eyes that almost looked silver in this light. They would protect this child, if she would let them.  
\---  
  
_ “Needless to say, she believed us eventually. The first few weeks were rough but worth it.” Eric finished, eyes resting on the young headmistress before glancing at the half-goblin who had adopted their child.  
  
“That's quite a tale. Lexi, though?” Filius remarked, arching a brow at his soon to be daughter.  
  
“She never did explain that. She was Lexi for a while before she told us her birth name and she went by Alex at the university.” Tim shrugged, relaxing against his husband. He remembered the day they found her clearly and it still made him angry, the things that had happened to her at the hand of her first master. But that was in the past and Eric had taken care of that  _ man _ . He was just happy that they had stories of Alexis to tell, that she had finally agreed to give them a chance. After they went to stew day, she had refused to leave with them before that.  


She sighed softly but it had been years now, so there was no reason not to tell them. “It was so that Jakob could find me. Alex and Alexis were common enough names, but Lexi was not. We had a system. Any time I ran, I used that name and I always left a mark on an alley wall for him to find. It was our agreement.” She didn't bother looking at the two men who had taken her in and practically raised her, she knew she would see disappointment in their eyes, that she hadn't told them this sooner.  
  
“Why didn't you tell us this, Alexis?” Eric inquired softly, covering his partner's hand with his own. He knew how the other man felt about Jakob Rettan, even if Alexis still admired the man that she believed had saved her from hell. The man might had saved her from her birth parents but he sold her back into hell, over and over again. And yet she stilled looked up to him. But there was no need to curse a dead man.  
  
“At first, because it was suppose to be a secret. And then the longer I was with you guys, the more I knew you wouldn't be happy about it. The older I got, the less important it seemed and once I turned eighteen, I knew Jakob wouldn't be able to take me from you. That's why I started going by my given name, because I was afraid he would take me away from the two of you, that he would sell me to someone else. I was tired of being sold.” She answered, equally soft, not bothering to keep the bit of sadness out of her voice. She missed Jakob but she didn't miss being treated like property, even if he treated her like she was diamonds. He also sold her like diamonds, to the highest bidder at the highest cost. But that was the past and it didn't matter anymore. She had work to do. She stood stiffly, stretching out her back for a moment before glancing at the men and turning to move toward her desk. “If we're done, I have work to finish.”  
  
Tim shook his head, meeting the eyes of the older two men. This was exactly why she needed a mindhealer. She shut every emotion down, locked it in, until her emotions were so bottled up that she exploded. Usually at him and Eric, because they pushed her. “I'll go check on Isaac, Derek, and Rose.” He murmured, moving toward the floo. They had left the teens in their quarters, after Derek had gone back to sleep, with instructions to not wake Derek and not to harm each other. Eric had actually sent Rose to the room that would become hers, in hopes that her magic and emotions wouldn't lash out at Isaac or target Derek. Eric and Filius could more than handle Alexis and he wasn't good at hiding his anger whenever Retten or his business was mentioned. Eric tended to get unhappy with him whenever he destroyed a room or exploded because of it, so he'd just rather go check on the teenagers.  


She bit back a sigh, not glancing up when she heard the floo go off. She knew that the two older men were still there but she ignored them, shuffling through the latest batch of paperwork. She knew that eventually they would either join her, and help with the paperwork, or leave. She didn't care either way. There was work to do, there was always work to do  
-x-


	35. Guilt

Harry tilted his head, trying to focus on the strands of magic he could see. It would be better if the strands of magic were steady and stopped disappearing but he would manage. If Karrie would stop moving her hand. “Karrie stop!” He grumbled, glaring at his sister for a moment before looking for the strands of magic again. 

  
“It's not my fault! It tickles.” She flexed her hands for a moment before stretching her hand out palm up again and tried to hold it still. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed with Harry seated across from her. She didn't quite see magic like her brother did, but she could  _ feel _ it. Harry could only feel active magic, magic that had been cast. But she could feel all the magic, even the magic in the stones that made up the walls of her room. There was magic everywhere in the castle; sometimes the magic was so strong that it felt like it was vibrating to her. The magic her brother was trying to focus on was tickling her hand. He had noticed the magic that moved around her hands when she was in certain places or feeling certain emotions. She had noticed it before and she knew that everyone could not feel or see magic like her and Harry could. Most people couldn't naturally shape raw magic like Harry could. And very few people attracted magic like she did. There were adult wizards, touch healers and spell crafters, who could shape magic but most of them had to learn how to focus their magic to do that. Most people had to be taught to feel magic. She was different, Harry was different. 

  
He squinted, trying to force his eyes to see all of the magic around his sister's hand but the magic kept moving and changing, like it was rubbing against Karrie's hand. “Can you make it be still?

  
“Magic doesn't like to be still.” She shrugged, leaning forward. She glanced toward the door, dropping her hand. “Remus is coming”   
  
Harry grimanced, reaching for a comic book. He glanced at his sister as a knock came at her door. She was never wrong but   
he still had no idea how she did that. “Come in.” He called, belatedly remembering that it was his sister's room.   
  
Karrie rolled her eyes, turning to grin at Remus when he opened the door. “Is it supper time already?”  
  
Remus smiled at her, fighting the urge to ask what they had been up to. Karrie seemed to forget that he had the ears of a wolf; he had heard what she had said to Harry. But he would just keep an eye on it. Children their age were bound to experiment with spells and magic, he just hoped that these two wouldn't get into any serious trouble. “It is. We are eating in the dining hall tonight and then you both have group.” He responded, eyes surveying each of them for a moment. “Harry, you have chocolate all over your face.” He added, raising an eyebrow. He had a feeling that the preteen had eaten the rest of the candy he had gotten for his birthday.   
  
Harry groaned, rolling his eyes when Karrie smirked at him. Of course she wouldn't tell him that. He slide off her bed, slipping past Remus to go wash his face. “Is Teddy there?” He called over his shoulder, leaving the bathroom door open.   
  
“Yes, Teddy is also eating in the dining hall. And yes Karrie, the two of you can sleep down here after group. You both know that you can stay here whenever you want to.” Remus respond, taking the hair brush that the girl offer him. He gently ran it through her hair, brushing it into three parts. He set the brush down, taking hold of the three strands of black hair. He finished the braid, summoning a ribbon to tie it with. Her hair was always so frizzy and he knew the young girl hated it. So he was teaching her how to style it but sometimes the preteen just let him do it. He didn't mind, he knew that no one had ever taken the time to teach Karrie how to take care of her self, let alone how to style her hair. The girl had to learn on her own, just as Harry had.   
  
“Do you have a meeting tonight?” She questioned, playing with one end of the green ribbon. Remus and Severus had given her and Harry a lot for their birthdays but her favourite thing was the ribbons and dress that Remus had gotten for her.  
  
“I do not.” He replied smiling softly at her actions. He loved it when they acted like kids. They were kids and they had never been given the chance to act like children.   
  
“How are you so good at braids, Remus?” Harry asked curiously. He leaned against the open doorway, face still wet. He was glad Remus was good at braids, as it made Karrie happy.   
  
“I once worked as a one on one for a mundane child. She was eight and she loved having her hair done.” He answered, glancing around Karrie's room for a moment. It was much cleaner than Harry's, but it was slowly becoming a room fit for a preteen girl and not the sterile room it was when they first moved Karrie in. The girl was finally feeling comfortable enough to make it her own. Of course, some of Harry's things had migrated over here as well, just as some of hers were in his room. They seemed to bounce between rooms, alternating where they played and often, where they slept.   
  
“What's a one on one?” Karrie tilted her head, placing Harry's comic book back on the pile of his books, before turning to leave her room.   
  
He hesitated for a second, trying to find a simple way to explain it. “It is like a personal, after school teacher. I helped the little girl with her school work and helped guide her through social interactions and personal skills.” Remus explained finally, leading the two preteens through their quarters. While there were disabilities in the wizarding world, they weren't talked about much outside of the healers. While both of his children were raised in the mundane world, he knew that they had both probably been busy protecting themselves, that even if they had a disabled classmate, they wouldn't know if that classmate had a caretaker after school.   
  
“Oh.” So like Lila then. There had been some kids at her school who had disabilities, she had spent time playing with them because they didn't make fun of her. But none of them had ever mentioned having a one on one.   
  
Harry shrugged, blinking when his stomach rumbled. “What's for supper?”   
  
-x-  
  
She bit her lip, pressing her hand against one of the corridor walls. The wave of magic she felt had caught her by surprise. The dizziness that followed it, however, did not. The castle's magic seemed stronger here. Alexis closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and centering herself. Since she had channeled Hogwart's magic, she had felt it stronger and stronger. The control she had before, the grasp she had on the castle's magic, was now gone. And she knew that she would have to get it under control, and soon.   
  
“Alexis?” Henry raised an eyebrow, slowing to a halt. He had been on his way to the dining hall and had, embarrassingly enough, got lost after looking for a loo. It didn't matter how much time he spent in the castle, he was forever getting lost. But maybe the castle had something to do with him finding this particular hallway.   
  
She opened her eyes to look at him, grimacing as another wave of magic slammed through her. She rested her weight against the wall, trying to slow her breathing and calm herself. If she was calm, she could focus on handling the Castle's magic. She ignored Henry for the moment, letting her mind slip into meditation and into the castle's magic. She ran along the wards for a moment, checking and strengthening them as she went. It was when she reached the walls surrounding the grounds, that the magic tangled into a mess. Her and Severus had gone over the wards several times before and those wards were still intact, still holding. But the very magic in the walls, magic gathered through centuries from active spells and inactive absorption, was a nest of tangled magic. There was one part of the walls that felt the weakest, where the magic had been bunched up. She relaxed her own magic, gently easing over the knots and pressing Hogwarts' own magic against the mess, using the castle's strength to fix the problem. Once the knots were gone, the magic flowed smoother. And then Hogwarts' magic hit her all at once. What the hell was Casilla doing? It felt like the very floor was rolling. Alexis pitched forward, losing her balance and her concentration. When her concentration slipped, she felt an overwhelming surge of magic. She also felt someone, Henry she assumed, catch her.  
  
“Listen to my voice, Alexis. You are in a hallway at Hogwarts. It's Henry. My arm is wrapped around your waist. Your hand is resting on a stone wall. Your feet are on a hardwood floor. You are safe.” Henry stated calmly, keeping his voice even and soothing. If he could ground her in the here and now, she might be able to regain control. He might not know what had just happened, but he knew what it looked like when someone lost control of their magic. He had seen it enough. From the pain on her face, he knew she had to be intertwined in Hogwarts magic. He didn't envy her. The castle was old and sentient, which meant it had stored magic from every wizard who had walked its hallways.   
  
She took a deep breath, forcing her mind to focus on what he was saying. Slowly, she pulled her own magic back within her and brought the small portion of Hogwarts that she channeled daily under her control. This portion was the magic that kept the wards up and warned her of danger, both from outside the castle and inside. She slowly shoved the excess magic back into Casilla, bleeding the excess magic off of her and through the stones her hand was resting on. Fawkes had warned her that there were certain parts of the castle where Casilla's magic might overwhelm her and that was before she channeled extra magic to help Emma. She must be somewhere over the center of Hogwarts. It took a few minutes, but she managed to get it under at least a little bit of control. She opened her eyes, blinking as the room spun for a moment. Her body was exhausted.   
  
He met gray eyes for a long moment, studying her pupils reaction time before gently taking one of her wrists and finding her pulse. “When was the last time you slept, Headmistress?” He inquired softly, watching as color slowly returned to her skin.   
  
Alexis sighed softly, letting his check her over. She knew it was the healer in him, just as the healer in her would have made her do the same if she encountered someone in her predicament. “Sunday?” She wasn't quite sure anymore, but probably when she passed out after healing Emma. She didn't have time to sleep, even if she had just had this conversation with her family. She had dinner to attend to, which is where she had been heading, and the weekly staff meeting for the counselors to hold.   
  
He hadn't been surprised when Eric, and Remus, had come to him to see if he might have noticed something they missed. He didn't just observe the students or the counselors. His job was to notice and prevent catastrophes, usually suicides, before they even reached that point. So he kept his eyes open and observed everyone and everything. And yes, Henry had noticed quite a lot about the young Headmistress, he had been close to going to Eric himself. She wasn't sleeping or eating and she was channeling more magic than her body was currently capable of handling in its weakened state. “You need rest.”   
  
“I'm fine Henry.” She bit back a grimace, trying to shake the last bout of dizziness. 

“You can lie to yourself Alexis, but you can't lie to me.” He responded, meeting stony gray eyes until she huffed and looked away. She had hired him because he was very good at his job and he had warned her that there might be times when she didn't like him very much, because he would call out anyone who needed it and he wasn't afraid to tell her the truth she needed to hear, even if she didn't want to hear it. “You need rest. I know you have a lot to do, but your body will not hold out much longer.”   
  
She would rest when she had time, after the meeting this evening. Probably. “I know Henry.”She responded, restraining from rolling her eyes at the older man. “I don't know about you but I'm heading to supper.” She added, moving away from the wall and starting down the hallway. She stumbled as a wave of dizziness hit her once more but a firm hand grasp her arm, keeping her on her feet.   
  
He moved his hand from her arm to the middle of her back, to support her. He would remove his hand when they reached the dining hall and not before. The young headmistress did not need to collide with the floor today. That, and he had a feeling he would get lost on his own. At least she had an intimate knowledge of school, so they wouldn't get lost.  
  
-x-  
  
This wasn't going well. Jake met Mary's eyes over the table for a moment before turning his attention back to the teenagers, and three preteens, who were currently arguing. Their group sessions could be intense, they could be difficult and painful. There was often tears involved and anger, so much anger. But it had never descended into a full fledged argument and Charlie had not been helping matters. He would be speaking to the younger man as soon as they were finished here. He had less than twenty minutes to get some sort of order back in here, to try to accomplish something tonight. Jake was thankful that they were in a sound-proofed room, a little conference room right off the camp. The other groups met in the bunks or the common area. But his group needed both the privacy of this little room and the wards surrounding it. One of which sounded in his head at that moment. “Everyone put their hands flat on the table.” He ordered, interrupting the teenagers. “Sit down please, Benjamin.”   
  
“Man, I'm out of here.” The boy snapped, stopping his steps but not moving back to his seat.   
  
“No one is leaving here until this situation is under control and we discuss it, as a calm group.” He kept his hands where he could see them, inclining his head toward the young teen's chair. The boy huffed, glaring at him for a long moment before stomping back to his seat. “Thank you, Benjamin. Now, if everyone will place their hands flat on the table please. Everyone.” He stated briskly, taking the time to meet each child's eyes. He waited for a moment, until almost every pair of hands was placed on the table. The children knew the rules of this room and they also knew exactly why he would issue that order. Jake moved slowly around the table, keeping every movement deliberate, before stopping next to the last child. He crouched down next to the boy, making sure to look at his eyes and not his hands. “I know you are angry, Nikolaas. I know you are hurting and maybe you even feel a little bit scared. But you know what? There are a lot of people around this table who know exactly what you are feeling right now. It is okay to be angry, to feel upset. Your feelings and thoughts are valid. But buddy, I'm going to need those hands okay?” He kept his tone calm, slowly holding one hand, palm up, under the table.   
  
Nikolaas bit his lip, hesitating for a moment. He toyed with the pocket knife in his hand before finally slipping the small blade into Jake's hand and slowly resting both of his hands on top of the table. He knew that Jake, Mary, and Charlie would never hurt them, even if this sucked sometimes. But he also knew that the three counselors understood exactly what each of them was thinking or feeling, because they had been there. “Okay.” He whispered finally, meeting the older man's eyes. He knew Jake would understand his answer for what it was, a silent apology.   
  
Jake gave a slight nod, straightening. “I know it is hard and it can be difficult. Sometimes it even just sucks. But we don't do this to hurt any of you; we don't do it to make you feel angry or sad or scared. We do it because it will help, even if you can't see it right now. One day, all of you will be healed, you will be healthy. You may never be able to think of some of these things without feeling sad, but talking about it now will help you heal. Can we try this again?” He remarked, eyes going around the round table once more. It took a moment but every head finally nodded. “Mary?”   
  
“Let's try this a different way. Jake and I understand that you wouldn't tell anyone outside this room what is said in this room. I know a lot of you have been talking about Emma, to each other. And I know many of you wonder if she tried to harm herself. The truth is, we don't know. We don't know what Emma was thinking or feeling at that moment in time. Emma doesn't seem to remember much about it. What we do know is that no one is to blame, that Emma's magic reacted the way it did because it felt that it was necessary. No one here could have predicted that. Should those of you who knew how Emma was feeling, what she was saying, told someone? Maybe. But Emma was new to the camp and breaking her trust by telling someone wouldn't have helped. Several of us knew what Emma was saying and we tried to dissuade that line of thinking. Are we to blame? No. No one in this room is to blame. Emma's line of thinking isn't uncommon and we know that. So let's try something.” Mary took a breath, meeting Jake's eyes for a moment. They had let the teens decide on the topic tonight, and while sexual abuse was always a tough one, neither of them had thought it would escalate like that. But Emma was one of them, one of the few preteens in their group, and all of them were coming to care for her. So it made sense that they would be upset. But they shouldn't be blaming each other. They were running low on time but she knew Jake wouldn't care if they ran over, even if they would be late to the staff meeting. And Charlie, well Charlie was leaning against the wall, completely shut down. “If you have ever felt sad, for any reason, raise your hand.” She instructed finally, nodding as every hand went up.  
  
“If you have ever felt like you have done something wrong, no matter what it might have been, raise your hand.” Jake added, raising his own hand. Even Charlie's hand had gone up at that. They had done this before, with other topics, of course. It was a good way for the teenagers to see that they weren't the only ones who did something, thought a certain way, or had something done to them. “Now keep your hand raised if you ever not told someone something to keep a friend out of trouble.”   
  
With every hand still up, she took a deep breath. This one was where it would get tricky. “Keep your hand up if you ever felt like you were bad or dirty because of something that happened to you.” Mary was amazed that Charlie's hand was still up. Usually the younger man tried really hard to pretend like nothing had happened to him. Her and Jake knew better, of course. She kept her own hand up, meeting Jake's eyes one more time.   
  
“Keep your hand up if you ever wanted to die, for any reason.” His hand was still up and he knew that might be part of the reason most of the teens still had their hands up. He met each pair of eyes around the table before nodding slightly. “Raise your hand if an adult in your life has ever harmed you in any way.” He waited until every hand was up, his and Mary's too, before giving them a soft smile. “Look around you. What do you see?” He questioned, letting his hand drop. He watched them as some of their eyes expanded and realization hit several of their faces. Hands finally dropped before one teen raised hers again. “Yes Lexie?”   
  
“We're not alone, right? We've all been through hell but we have each other. And we have you guys.” She responded, looking around at her friends. They started as a group of teenagers and preteens who were so different from each other and who never wanted to talk about it, to this. Even if there had been arguing and shouting, they had been communicating. They were all friends with each other, all protective with each other, especially with the younger ones, and they were all becoming a family. She thought that might have been Jake, Mary, and Charlie's goal all along.   
  
“That's why Emma hurts so much. Because she has all of us and she just doesn't seem to understand that.” Nikolaas added softly.   
  
“She's our age and she's new to camp. It's a lot to take in and it is hard. We do most everything with our own cabins but then we come here and you all are older. You've been through a lot. Sometimes it can feel like we take time away from you guys. Or that you don't always say everything you would, because of our age. When it reality to even be in this group, we have gone through much of the same stuff.” Karrie explained, blushing when fifteen sets of eyes fell on her.   
  
“Some of the stuff you have gone through is much worse than anything some of us have. I can't speak for everyone, but it's hard to talk about the difficult stuff regardless of anyone's age. Besides that, if you lot weren't here, this group wouldn't be complete.” Michael replied, catching the younger girl's eyes. He smiled at her, in hopes that she would realize he was being honest.   
  
“Besides, if you weren't here and I didn't catch myself, Jake would so wash out my mouth.” Daniel teased, grinning at the giggles that caused, and not just from the younger ones. He was serious too. Jake had already used that spell on him twice this summer because he swore up a storm when he was mad, he didn't want it any more than necessary.   
  
“I'm pretty sure you would give me plenty of other reasons to do that, Daniel.” Jake teased, feeling the atmosphere lighten slightly. “Alright you lot, let's close this meeting for tonight. We will work on it. Let's close our eyes and still our minds for a moment.” He instructed after a minute or two. Taking meditative breaths before and after sessions seemed to help calm and focus the group. It showed how much trust these teenagers had it them though, that not a single one hesitated before closing their eyes. He gave it a few minutes before opening his own eyes. “Alright, scat. Some of you need to tidy your bunk room before bed. Boys.” He dismissed them, catching the eyes of the boys in his cabin. The groans from that group, and the teases from the other teens, was reassuring. He glanced at Charlie, who had started moving toward the door and then to Mary.   
  
“I'll tell the Headmistress that you will be late.” She remarked softly, for his ears alone.   
  
“Actually, will you tell her that I will see her later this evening, in her office? I don't think we will make the meeting.” He responded quietly, moving to block Charlie's path. “You and I need to talk.”He remarked so that the younger man could hear him this time. He heard Mary leave and shut the door, focusing his attention on other man.  
  
“We are going to be late.” Charlie countered, glaring at the slightly older man, trying to find a quick path around him.   
  
“I don't care about that right now. What I do care about is you. So do you want to tell me what that was all about?” He inquired calmly, gesturing toward the table. Blue eyes met his for a moment before the younger man grumbled, glancing away. Jake sighed softly, casting a silent locking charm to the door, so Charlie couldn't take off on him before moving to sit on the edge of the table.  
  
Charlie glared at the floor for a moment before glancing toward the door. But as well as Jake knew him, he had a feeling he wasn't leaving until Jake was satisfied. He wasn't sure the other man would be, even if he did decide to tell him the truth. He finally stalked toward a chair as far away from Jake as possible but where they would still be able to see each other. “It wasn't about anything.”   
  
“I doubt that. You almost incited a riot. If there wasn't a reason for that, you and I will be having a very different conversation.”   
  
He grimaced at the implied threat, biting his lip. Maybe there was a reason for it but he didn't want to talk about it. “I don't want to talk about it.” Cased closed. Jake usually let it go when he said that, although he had noticed the older man watching him closer lately.   
  
“Not this time, buddy.” He responded softly, adapting the tone he used with his teen boys when they were shutting down. Charlie wasn't much older than some of the teenagers, after all. “I know you don't want to talk about it but you need to. This time, you need to talk about it. If it is hurting you to the point where you can't focus enough to help guide the group, then it is important. I am willing to listen, I just need you to be honest with me.” Jake added, watching the other man's body language. Charlie was good at shutting down, at blocking them out, but if he was right, that wouldn't help this time. If it had ever actually helped.   
  
He hesitated, tapping his fingers against the top of the table. He didn't know how to phrase it so that Jake wouldn't worry; how to separate himself from it so that it wouldn't hurt so much. “I don't... I can't-” He broke off, looking down at his lap, bouncing his knee.   
  
“It's okay Charlie. You are safe here. I know this is hard and I know it can hurt. But I'm here and I'm listening.” He remarked quietly, resting his hands on his knees and leaning forward slightly, shifting his weight on the table.  
  
He ran his hand through his hair, making the blond hair even more frazzled than it was before. He didn't know what to do. He wasn't sure how to talk about it. Charlie had felt angry and helpless, two feelings that he hated. He hadn't meant to cause the teenagers to start blaming each other. The truth was, he kind of blamed himself too. Because he should have caught it. He knew she had been..tortured. He knew her story. Kate had been so shaken up when they got Emma, she had to talk to someone. And that had been him. He knew Kate blamed herself for not noticing Emma's magic was on edge. And he blamed himself. Because he was so good with the preteens, he cared about all of them. He should have caught it. “Emma. I should have known. I should have caught it.” He responded finally, not bothering to look up at Jake. He knew what he would see.   
  
“As should I. As should Mary. Alexis. Eric. Tim. Severus... Should I continue? Emma was not your fault. We have no idea why her core matured and the reason doesn't even matter anymore. What matters is that little girl, that we help her through this. No one is to blame for Emma. And while that might be part of the reason you are upset, it is not the reason you were on edge. It is not the reason you are hurting. Emma might be part of it, but she isn't the reason for all of it. So talk to me.” Jake replied calmly, forcing down a sigh. There wasn't a counselor, teacher, or mindhealer who didn't blame themselves for Emma. The only one who had had any clue, besides Alexis, had been Henry. Henry was one of the reasons he had started pushing harder with Charlie. Once he had found out the man's true purpose here, he was the only counselor who knew, not only had his respect for the man grown but he had also started listening more carefully to what Henry was trying to say without actually saying it. Emma was not the reason Charlie was so angry. He had a feeling he knew what was, though.   
  
“I can't.”   
  
“If you can't talk to me, then talk to Mary or Alexis. But buddy, we both know it isn't a can't. You can. You just have to try.” He responded firmly. He knew he was using some of the same language he would use with the teenagers and preteens but he also knew that it was the best way to reach Charlie right now. By treating him like he was his little brother.   
  
Charlie huffed, chewing on the inside of his cheek. Didn't Jake understand how hard it was? Didn't he know what he was asking him to do? Knowing Jake, he probably knew exactly what he was asking him to do. But it was hard and painful. He had never really talked about it and he knew logically the keeping it locked inside wasn't healthy. He wouldn't want his boys locking their emotions inside, forcing down their past to the point that they didn't even want to acknowledge it. Eventually, the past always came out and the more it was forced back, the stronger the hurt when it finally broke free. He knew that. He saw it with the teenagers they had here and he even saw it in himself. It was just difficult to let those barriers down, even though he trusted Jake. The older man had become like an older brother to him and he knew he could talk to him. He just didn't know how to start. Perhaps the beginning was the best place to try from. Charlie took a breath, staring down at his scuffed up shoes. “I was twelve the first time I thought killing myself was the only way out of that life. Emma's story reminds me so much of my own. Honestly, many of their stories do. I just...it makes me angry that someone would treat an innocent child like that, you know? That someone would tell a child that if they couldn't be abused, they would be better off dead. It..hurts. It hurts a lot more than it probably should because I understand them, I get these kids.” He stated finally, eyes still focused on his shoes. He didn't want to see the understanding and concern on Jake's face right now. It would make it so much harder.   
  
“ I know it hurts. And it's okay that it hurts. It's okay to be angry. We relate to these kids because we were them. Talking about the past helps, it can even help with understanding where some of these kids are coming from, by understanding what happened to us. We were once innocent children too, Charlie. We didn't deserve the things done to us. Can you accept that?” Jake responded calmly, leaning toward Charlie once more. He knew the younger man was hurting; he wasn't sure if Charlie could accept that he was once an innocent child, that he didn't deserve any of what had happened to him. It had taken years of therapy for him to get to that point, after all.   
  
He hesitated, glancing up for a brief second before looking away again. “I don't know if I can.”   
  
“Hey, that's okay buddy. At least you know you can't accept it just yet. One day you will. What happened to you was _wrong._ Just as what happened to Emma was wrong. These kids bring your past back to your mind and that's hard. I know it's hard. I've been there Charlie. I struggled with it for a while too. The more you talk about it, the more you let those emotions out, the easier it becomes to handle, the less it hurts. I know it is difficult to let those barriers down and it is hard to do around the children. But you can always let them down with me, with Mary. We can handle the emotions, Charlie. We understand.” Jake replied softly, finally managing to catch the younger man's eyes.   
  
Charlie met green eyes for a long moment before nodding. “Okay. I'll try Jake. It's hard to talk about it. And it hurts when one of my kids is hurting and I don't know how to help.” He answered, blinking away tears. His emotions were way too close to the surface for comfort.   
  
“You help by listening, by being there. Just as I am here for you. I know it's hard, I get it. But with time and support, it will get better.” He responded, sliding slowly from the table to the floor. He relaxed his stance, opening his arms, and body language, to the younger man. He was not quite prepared for the younger one to launch from the chair, across the room, and into his arms. He hugged Charlie tight, feeling tears drip onto his skin. The younger man usually did not do physical contact of any kind. The fact that he had willing hugged him and that Charlie's head was buried into his chest told him how much the younger man needed this, needed the emotional release. He smiled down at the younger man, fighting the urge to chuckle at how young Charlie looked with tears shining on his face and one hand grasping his shirt like it was the only thing he had left. “It's okay, buddy. It is going to be okay.” He whispered soothingly, tightening his hold on the younger man. He would hold the man for as long as Charlie let him; clearly he needed this.   
  
-x-  
  
“Did you know that the Ukranian Ironbelly has talons that can be up to 45 centimeters long? Its talons are harder than Corundum , which is the second hardest stone on Earth. Its talons are so sharp, they can cut through most natural and man made materials. A magical scientist in 1973 attempted to make a protective vest for dragon tamers that the talons would not be able to cut through. He wore it in an experiment and was cut to pieces.” Teddy took a breath, turning his figurine of the Ironbelly so that he could examine the plastic talons. He shifted slightly, reclining back against Alexis.   
  
“That's fascinating Teddy.” She responded with a smile, looking up from the inventory list she had been reading over. They were in her office, partly because she was expecting a counselor and Teddy had wanted to tell her his latest dragon facts without hearing his brothers groans. She was quite glad that Charlie had gotten him that book, even if some of the pictures were a bit too gruesome for her. Teddy enjoyed it and that was what matter. She had had to explain when it was appropriate and inappropriate to discuss some of those facts and to show some of the images to his friends. Showing his friends a photo of a dissected pregnant dragon during dinner had not been the appropriate time, if there ever was one.   
  
“Do you think there is a charm that could make plastic as hard as Corundum?”  
  
She bit back a groan, knowing that was something she would have to keep an eye on. Hopefully he wouldn't try to transfigure his toys into actual dragons. That would be a disaster. “I don't think so. Besides, you wouldn't want to hurt yourself when you were playing, would you?” She responded, raising an eyebrow at the preteen before glancing at her office door at the knock.   
  
From the light green light she knew it was a staff member, probably the one she was expecting. “Come.” She called out, tightening her arm around the preteen for a moment when he started to slide down. “It's alright, meine Kind.” She murmured, nodding to Jake as the man slowly came into the room.   
  
“If this is a bad time, Alexis?” He shrugged, smiling at Teddy for a moment. He didn't want to take her time away from an attention-starved child if he could help it.  
  
Teddy relaxed the moment he saw that it was Jake, and not someone else. He was thirteen, after all, he was suppose to be too old to sit on his Alexis. But she didn't seem to mind at all. “I'm just telling Alexis about Ironbellys.” Teddy shrugged, holding up his figurine for a moment so that the older man could see it.  
  
“Done with the Welsh, then?” He inquired conversationally. Jake had heard so many dragon facts, granted not as many as Charlie and Phil, that he thought he could probably write his own book. He was grateful, though, that almost all of the older boys, even several of the older girls, were so willing to listen and engage in interesting conversations about dragons with Teddy. None of his boys had ever became impatient with the younger boy and they always took the time to hear what the boy was saying. A few of them, Isaac and Michael usually, even showed Teddy spells to make his figurines perform some of the same abilities as the dragons in his book. Thankfully, the boys also knew not to teach the preteen anything that could become dangerous, even if the fire spell of Isaac's had been pushing it.   
  
“While Welsh Greens are fascinating because they are native here, Ironbellys have more interesting abilities and properties. Do you need to talk to mum?” Teddy shrugged, hugging the older woman before sliding off her lap.   
  
“I do.” Jake replied with a smile, watching the way Alexis' eyes lit up. He thought he understood that feeling, even if his wasn't quite parental.   
  
“Okay. Is now an appropriate time to tell Bain about how Ironbellys carry their young?” Teddy asked, turning to look directly as Alexis. He knew the older boy, at least, would not flinch away from the pictures. Most dragons laid eggs and while the Ironbelly wasn't an exception to that, they swallowed their eggs after a certain period of time, before they hatched. It was fascinating.   
  
She forced down the urge to cringe. “Ask Bain if he wants to talk about it first, Teddy. And ask him before you show him the pictures. If he says no, tell him about something else instead.” She instructed calmly, meeting Jake's eyes over the boy's head. He was trying so hard to hide his disgust of it; granted she was too. Those photographs were awful. But her child was passionate about it, so while he knew that might be gross, he was too excited about having someone who would listen to him to care about that.   
  
Teddy nodded, grinning at her and Jake before disappearing through the door into her quarters to find his brother. 

“Can we please ban any pictures or drawings of anything being dissected from the dining hall? Phil had to sooth an eleven year old who was too terrified to sleep because he thought the mother dragon might eat him too.” Jake practically begged, settling into the chair in front of her desk. He had also heard more than one of his older boys discussing the gruesomeness of those images. He wasn't quite sure why Charlie had picked that book, unless the man hadn't looked through the entire thing, which was possible, but he would take ten hours of endless dragon facts if he never had to see that again.   
  
She sighed, shifting forward slightly. “I already talked to Teddy about that. If any of the kids have nightmares about it, call Eric or Severus for some dreamless.” She responded, running a hand through her hair. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that. And hopefully they could get Teddy interested in a less graphic book on Dragons. Remus was ordering him an age appropriate one and she was planning to owl a few friends from the dragon reserve to see what they suggested for a preteen boy.  
  
That child was going to grow up to work on a dragon reserve if his passion continued. Jake had a feeling she knew that though. “Would you be terribly unhappy if he worked on a reserve?” He inquired quietly, raising an eyebrow at the flash of...something in her eyes.   
  
“I worked on a dragon reserve, as a mind and touch healer. I know how dangerous it can be. But I also know that he is so passionate about dragons. As long as Teddy is happy and safe, I will be alright with most anything.” She answered finally, shaking her head. She had worked on the reserve for over a year and a half, as a fill-in while their healer was on leave. She had partly done it to piss off Tim and Eric. Which had worked, just not the way she expected.   
  


“You worked on a reserve?” He couldn't imagine the slightly older woman working on a dragon reserve, of all places. Not because it was dangerous, that probably is what had attracted her to it. But she was not the type to put up with stupidity and dragon reserves were full of men and women, usually apprentices, who took stupid risks to prove themselves to each other. It was the place of alpha males and females. He wouldn't have survived there.   
  
“I did. I also got in a lot of trouble there.”She shrugged, smirking when he rolled his eyes. She liked that they could have normal, easy conversations with each other, even though she was technically his boss. But she also knew that they needed to discuss why he was really there. “What happened with Charlie?” She tapped her fingers twice of the desk, giving a crooked smile when a tea tray popped into place. She offered him a mug before fixing her own.   
  
He sighed softly, looking away for a moment to gather his thoughts. “I think I finally convinced him to try to let down his barriers, at least with me and Mary. He almost caused a problem during group, Alexis. The kids had wanted to talk about Emma, they are worried about her. When one of the girls ask if it was their fault, for not telling us how Emma felt, Charlie made a snide comment that started a blaming game. Once we got them calmed back down, Mary and I were able to convince the kids that no one was to blame.” Jake ran a hand over his face, taking a slow deep breath for a few seconds before fixing his own tea. He needed something to do with his hands as he remembered how he had felt at Charlie's remarks. He had come very close to going off on the younger man but he had stopped himself, partly because he understood exactly what Charlie had meant. Charlie didn't blame the teenagers; he blamed the adults in Emma's life who had failed her.   
  
Alexis grimaced, closing her eyes for a brief moment. The staff meeting had also turned into a blame game. But she had quickly gotten it back under control and had used Eric to help her with settling the matter. “The staff meeting actually went much the same.” She responded softly, mentally making a note about Charlie finally reaching out.   
  
“I explained to Charlie, after, that no one was at fault and that every adult here blamed themselves. Including me and you. It was hard with one person, I can't imagine how difficult that must have been.” He knew it had been tough, from the weariness in her eyes. He would even bet that there were tears in the staff meeting just as there were in group.   
  
He was right, she had blamed herself at first as well. But she had been a healer long enough to understand that it wasn't exactly her fault. They didn't know what happened, not completely, that made Emma's magic mature like that, although they had their guesses. And Eric had quickly stopped the blame game by suggesting that anyone who truly blamed themselves for it and could not move passed it could come see him and they would handle it in the way of the guild. The entire room had gone silent at that; all of them were healers of one type or another, they knew exactly how the Healers Guild handled guilt. She had been able to regain order quickly after that. Tim had already taken Kate into the hallway at that point, partly because she couldn't leave to calm the younger woman and partly because her, Eric, and Tim had all agreed that one of them needed to get it through to Kate that it was not her fault either. “It was awful.” She replied meeting his eyes for a moment before suddenly snorting. “Although, Eric helped by offering to handle any blame in the way of the guild.”   
  
Jake nearly choked on his tea, managing to spit it all over Alexis and her desk. Grey eyes met his for a moment before the woman gave in to laughter. He could imagine the look of horror on his face and the look on her face was enough to push him over the edge into a deep laughter of his own.   
  
She tried to take a deep breath but it was hard. She hadn't really laughed like this in a long time and it felt good to just let go. Especially since she knew that even though she was his boss, she could be herself around Jake, just as he could relax around her. It took several minutes for her to calm down enough to tap her wand on her papers to dry them. At least there wasn't anything seriously important in that pile and it had totally been worth it.   
  
“He didn't!” Jake chortled, trying hard to force himself back to being under control. But he hadn't laughed like this in so long and from the struggle the _Headmistress_ was having with her own laughter, he had a feeling she hadn't either.   
  
She snorted once more, remembering the looks of the faces of the majority of the staff. Not a single one of them had doubted him, either. It didn't matter that she was headmistress of the school or that Tim was technically over the mindhealers and counselors. Eric was over Tim, as head healer. He was also the oldest, highest ranked healer in the school. In matters of healing, she deferred to his and Tim's knowledge and experience, even if she was their boss. And in the eyes of the guild, it didn't matter if she was his boss. If there was ever an incident that needed to be handled with one of the healers in the manner of the guild, it would be Eric, not her, as the most senior healer, who would handle it. That's just how healers worked. The director of one of the hospitals she had interned at had not been the one to handle healer ethics matters because he wasn't the most senior healer. The guild had such strict guidelines and regulations that sometimes in matters of ethics, policies, or fault there was only one person in a hospital, or in this case Hogwarts, who the head of the institute and the Healers Guild agreed would handle such matters. It was convoluted but the guild tended to err on the side of caution. “He did and he has that authority, as our senior most healer. Even over me. But if I had known suggesting handling it that way would settle things, I would have done it much sooner in the meeting.” _Before Eric had felt the need to intervene._ She knew that even though her thought was silent, Jake was smart enough to put the pieces together if he wanted to.   
  
He sighed softly, shaking his head. When he had worked on a children's ward as a counselor, when he was still apprenticing, there had been at least two cases a year of someone getting called up to the senior healer's office because of something like guilt or disobeying direct orders. And that had been with an older staff age range. Here, with so many young counselors and mind-healers, he'd hate to think of how many of them that might be. “No one likes getting spanked, particularly in the manner of the guild.” He shrugged. Jake almost wished Charlie had been at that meeting, it might have curved some of the younger man's guilt and anger, but he sort of doubted that.   
  
Alexis glanced at the door to her quarters, raising an eyebrow at the knock from her quarters. “Of course not. Remind me to tell you the story of when Eric was called to the Dragon Reserve, one day.” She responded, waving a hand at the door. Speak of the devil and he will appear. Eric stepped over the threshold, raising an eyebrow at her. She frowned, tilting her head slightly, she wasn't quite sure what he wanted.   
  
“Am I interrupting?” He inquired, furrowing his brows when Jake fought back giggles. He glanced at their mugs and then back at the two young adults. They were drinking tea, but both of them had blushed when he entered the room and both of them had choked down giggles. He knew he wasn't interrupting or she wouldn't have let him in.   
  
“No. What can I do for you, Eric?” She inquired, frowning when he looked pointedly at the timepiece. What did the time have to do with anything?  
  
Jake also noticed the look, catching a glimpse of the time himself. Damn, it was almost midnight and he needed to get back to the boys. Hopefully, Henry had managed to get them to go to bed, but he knew a few would still be up. “I got to get back, Headmistress.” He remarked quietly, catching her eyes in a silent request.   
  
Alexis blinked, looking at the timepiece again. She needed to check on her boys, as they all should be sleeping. “I didn't realize it was this late. Go on, Jake. We'll talk more later.”She dismissed with a nod, following back into their roles easily. It was funny how easy her and Jake could switch the professional switch off and talk as friends and then easily switch it back on.   
  
“Goodnight, Alexis. I will hold you to that story, however.” Jake respond, teasing slightly, before standing and stretching stiff muscles.   
  
Eric waited until the younger man had left before turning brown eyes back to the young headmistress. “What time are you suppose to be in bed, Alexis?” He asked calmly, watching her fidget at the change in his tone.   
  
“Midnight. I know, I know Eric. I'm going. It was work related?” She tried, grimacing when he merely raised a brow at her. She had known that wouldn't work, but it had been worth the try. She vanished the tea tray, moving to organize her stacks of paper for the morning  
  
He shook his head, gesturing for her to follow him when she was finished. She still had children to check on, after all. And he knew he would rest easier knowing that most of his were tucked safely into their beds. Not that he would be sleeping, as he was on duty tonight. But he had already checked on Rose, tucked safely into the room that was now hers and he had done his rounds through the camp, checking on Isaac and Damien. He knew where Remus and Severus were and once Alexis was in bed, the only one left was Tim. Who was working, The younger man was still with Kate, having finally taken the girl to his office. He had a feeling he would have to step in as senior healer sooner than he like. But that was alright. He knew Alexis was coming to care for every member of her staff and she already cared for all the children; he was also starting to form roots here, to fall into the job he was offered. Having a young staff made it more interesting, even if there was a bit more work involved. He wouldn't trade it for his old bureaucratic duties for nothing.   
-x-

 

 


	36. Relationships are Complicated

“You okay?” 

She flushed, brushing the tears away from her cheeks. Of course it would be a boy who found her out here, by herself. It couldn't be just any boy though; no, it had to be one of the stone-faced boys. That's what the other teens called that group of boys and girls, stone-faced. They showed no emotion but she had realized that they were all quite kind. “I'm fine, Michael.” 

He shrugged, moving to sit beside her on the grass. They were in one of the courtyards, not horribly far from the castle. “It's a lot to take in, isn't it? One day you are focused on making it through another summer, just one more summer, and the next you are at the only safe place you've ever had surrounded by people who genuinely care about you. It's terrifying.” He didn't look at the blond, dark eyes locked on the clouds instead. 

She hesitated, glancing at the dark skinned boy. “I don't know how to handle it. All the other girls, everyone really, are so nice. They treat me like I'm one of them.” She fought the urge to start crying again. It was a lot to process. She had been here only a few days, and already everyone was kind to her. 

“You feel like you are an impostor, like you don't belong here. Even when deep down, you know you do. I remember the whirlwind of the first few days, but I shared those days with several others who all got picked up at the same time. It is okay to feel like an impostor, Jasmine. It is okay to feel.” 

“You don't.” She blurted out, blushing when his eyes met hers for a moment. Here he was trying to make her feel better and she insulted him. Not even three days and already she was making a mess of this. But he was right, deep down she knew she belonged here. She was fifteen, she knew what had happened to her was abuse, that it was wrong. She couldn't imagine what had been done to Michael, or Ariana, or any of those stone-faced kids to make them so emotionless, so empty. She had heard one of the counselors mention that that group, the only group that crossed age and gender lines, was full of the toughest kids that he had ever met. Of course, neither of the counselors had noticed she was listening. 

Michael bit his lip, shaking his head for a moment. “We know what they call us. Stone-faces, statues, the worst of the worst. Even a few more creative phrases that I won't mention. We feel and we feel hard. And it hurts, it hurts so much that we lock our emotions in, we don't show them to others unless we have to. Because emotions make you vulnerable. But if you watch my friends, if you watch me, when we are around each other or our counselors, those walls, those masks, come down. It's called posturing and it is how most of us are still alive. It is hard to turn that off. So I do feel, I get it. I just don't show it.” He remarked finally, allowing the smallest bit of sadness into his voice. It hurt, when the other teens thought they didn't have feelings, although most of them had been around each other long enough now that everyone's masks were done. 

“I'm sorry.”

“You don't have to be. You'll adjust to all of this. Give it time.” Michael leaned back against the stone wall, knowing that sooner or later, someone would come looking for them. Jasmine might be a new addition but that didn't mean she was any different from the rest of them. New teens were trickling in, not every day now but often enough. He hated that so many others had suffered like he had but he was glad that they had this place here to call home.   
-x-  
Elijah glanced at the three preteens as he made his way, stealthily, toward the entrance to the camp. The three kids were relaxing in the corner they had claimed, with Harry and Karrie sharing a beanbag chair and Teddy stretched out on his stomach beside them. All three kids had books, or in Harry's case comic books, that they were reading. He was just happy that they weren't running this morning. Although he was trying to sneak out before group activities, at least he wasn't a danger to himself and he knew where to avoid going. His little 'brother', on the other hand, seemed to think that the forest was safe and tended to disappear deep into the castle to hurt himself. Elijah smiled causally at Phil when the older man glanced at him, easing closer and closer to the door. Robert had slid out five minutes before and they were planning to meet in one of the courtyards. It wasn't that they wanted to avoid group activities all together, the older teens were going to have a football scrimmage again that afternoon that he, at least, was looking forward to. But Robert wanted to talk to him and he hadn't wanted to do it surrounded by other teenagers. He just hoped that he hadn't done anything wrong. He liked Robert, he liked him a lot. He had thought that they were on good terms but maybe he was wrong. He just wasn't sure, this was all so new for him. And he didn't want to ask Bain, even though he knew the older boy would not laugh at him. He wanted to handled it on his own, without the advice of the older boy. Because relationships shouldn't be that hard, right?   
-x-  
“Alright Alexis, spill.”   
She snorted, relaxing back against her armchair, sipping on her tea. It was mid-morning, a couple hours before lunch Jake was sprawled out on the armchair across from her with Mary relaxing in a chair she had transfigured to recline. The three of them had been trying to wind down and relax, something they didn't get to do often with a camp full of hurting children and younger counselors who needed guidance. She definitely didn't get to relax, with all the work she had to do, so Mary had the idea of the three of them just trying to take an hour every now and then to relax. That's how they had gotten comfortable enough with each other for them to tell stories like they were, of their apprenticeships, even of their childhoods. Since Mary had shared a time when her master corrected her and Jake had shared a time when he had got called in front of the senior healer, she knew she had to pick one. And she had the perfect story. “Jake, you remember what we talked about last night? About how I worked on a dragon reserve? Well, one day...”   
-x-

“You climbed into a dragon's pen?!” Jake stared at her, mouth gaping. Even he knew that was dangerous, and he had done plenty of stupid things in his 'youth'. Granted, as Henry had reminded him this morning, he was still in his 'youth'.   
Alexis grimaced, remembering the terrifying moment when she had first noticed the Wyverns. They had been lucky that night. “I did. We've all have done things without thinking. I was focused on my client and nothing else.” She shrugged finally, raising an eyebrow at Mary's expression. 

“I bet you never did that again.” Mary suggested, meeting the slightly younger woman's eyes. From the relaxed body language of both Jake and Alexis, her idea was working. It took a couple of tries but the three of them were now comfortable enough to set aside their professional sides and just act their age with each other. They all needed this. 

“Gods no. Eric's threat alone is enough to put an end to that idea.” She gave off a shudder, grinning at her two employees who were becoming her friends. 

“Glad to hear it.” Eric remarked quietly from the door to her quarters. She had known he was there, as she had dropped the ward to let him in, but the other two young people jumped. 

Alexis glanced at Eric and grimaced. She knew that face and she knew it well. “I didn't do it.” She stated, flushing at how childish she sounded. 

Eric snorted, eyes roving over all three young adults. He had a feeling this had been Mary's idea and it was a good one. All of their guards were dropped, all of their masks off. It was good to see them act like young twenty somethings and not like middle-age professionals. They didn't have to be responsible for so many others here, they could just be themselves. They needed that. He hated to disturb it. “You didn't. I actually need to speak to Jake for a moment, although you might want to hear that conversation, Headmistress.” He felt the very air in the room change as all three young adults sat up straight and tensed. 

Alexis met Eric's eyes for a long moment, tilting her head in question. At his shake of head though, she knew it wasn't good. “I'm sorry Mary, we are going to have to do this again another time.”She apologized finally, turning to meet the other woman's eyes. 

 

Mary shrugged, standing and stretching for a moment. She squeezed Jake's shoulder as she moved passed him, nodding to Eric, before moving to gently touch Alexis' arm. “It's alright. We'll find time sometime this week.” She smiled at the younger woman, feeling her relax for a brief second. She was going to try to work time in for these relaxing sessions at least once a week, more if she could. She knew it would be easier during the school year, because there would be more adults around to watch over the children. 

He waited until Mary had disappeared through the door before sitting down in a nearby armchair and handing the piece of parchment he carried to Alexis. Eric did not, however, watch her expression. He knew what her reaction would be. He was watching the younger man's reaction. “You forged your cosigner's name on your contract with the school. Thankfully, Lucius caught it before anyone else could. If you had known that your cosigner would not sign for you, you should have informed us. We would have taken care of it.” 

Alexis sighed, reading the letter for the third time. “Why didn't you tell me, Jake?” Now they would have to find a cosigner for the younger man who would be willing to be responsible for a man who forged someone else's signature. 

He fidgeted, not looking at either of them. He had received a howler that morning from the man whose signature he had forged. But the man technically had been his guardian and it wasn't the first time he had done so either. Hogwarts was just the first place that actually checked out the cosigners. Because he wasn't adult enough, by the magical communities standards, to enter into a contract on his own. Hell, Alexis was barely old enough and her situation was only different because hers wasn't a contract exactly. Hers was almost entirely through magic and he knew Filius had cosigned on the financial contract with the board of governors for her, as was required in their charter since she was under forty and taking on the mantle of headmistress. Her situation was different from his in more ways than one. She had several people willing to sign for her, he didn't have one. “I thought I could get away with it.” He answered finally, deciding to be honest with her. After all, all she could do was fire him and he had a feeling that she wouldn't. “Henry told you?” He inquired as an after thought, glancing at the older healer. 

Eric raised a brow at the younger man. He was very nearly whining. Clearly there was more that Henry had not told him but he trusted the other man had handled it. As he would let Henry handle this. “He did. You have done this before?” He hadn't missed that note in the young man's voice either. 

Jake nodded, looking away from the brown-skinned healer to Alexis. She looked resigned but not really surprised. He was irritated that Henry had told Eric, however. Not that they wouldn't have found out since they did receive the letter. Maybe he shouldn't have snapped at the older man; even though his respect for Henry had grown, he didn't need the other man's opinion. Nor had he liked being popped, although perhaps he shouldn't have snapped quite what he had. He would have popped Charlie for doing the same. 

“Alright, so now we have to find a cosigner for you.” Alexis stated, glancing at Eric. She had a feeling that Eric had already done that. 

“Good luck with that.” Jake muttered, fidgeting again. He had no family, his master wouldn't do it, and he had no friends old enough to do it. He had been forging his master's signature on contracts for nearly four years. He had just needed another year or two and then he wouldn't have needed the signature. But he got caught. 

“Hey, attitude.” Alexis corrected instantly, fighting down a grimace when she realized how much like Tim she sounded. But it didn't feel weird for her to correct Jake, even if they were the same age. She was his boss. And while she could understand his feelings of defeat, she knew they could find a solution if Eric hadn't found one already. 

He had thought about having Henry tell the young man but he wasn't so sure Jake wouldn't go off on him. Not that Henry couldn't handle him, of course. “Because of your age, you have to have a cosigner to act as legal guardian and that can be hard to find at your age, if it isn't a master or family member. However, when Henry and I spoke, he offered to do so, if you have no objections. Lucius will bring over the appropriate paperwork this evening.” Eric explained quietly. He figured Henry could talk to Jake about what that meant later. Jake wasn't one he thought would act out, but that didn't mean that Henry didn't need to have that chat with him. 

He blinked. Henry was willing to do that for him? But he wasn't always as respectful or nice to Henry, at least in their quarters. Henry never got angry, he just listened and let him rant usually. “Yes sir, that's fine. I'm sorry, Alexis. I know I should have brought it to your attention, it just makes it harder to get a job when no one will sign for you. “ 

“Eric, Tim, and Severus all signed for the counselors who needed it. We had a solution in place for those who didn't have a cosigner. Hogwarts requires one for longer than most places, partly because we work with children. So we had a plan in place, you just had to tell us.” Alexis replied softly, meeting green eyes. She knew a lot about Jake's past, they sometimes double-teamed the hard to reach ones and used their pasts to relate to the youth. So she had known that he had few good relationships with older adults. He was creating a family of his own, with Mary and Charlie and Kate. Even with her in a way. She had a feeling Henry was going to become part of that family. Jake was just going to have to get used to being accountable to more people than just himself and his employer. She knew how hard that was but it was yet another thing they shared. And that was alright.   
-x

He took a deep breath, hesitating for a second before knocking on his Head of House's office door. He knew Severus had an open door policy and he knew the older man would rather they come to him than struggle on their own. He just wasn't sure how his..boyfriend would handle it. Elijah didn't know his history, didn't know how bad he could get, and they had argued for over an hour before he had finally made the decision to seek out Severus. After checking in with their counselors to let them know that they were both okay.

Severus frowned, glancing at the door before looking at the clock. Most of the preteens and teenagers should be in activities right now, except for the small number who managed to sneak out or had counseling sessions. “Come.” He was not expecting to see two teenage boys, only one of whom actually moved into the room. 

“Can we speak to you, sir?” Robert asked, reaching out for Elijah's hand and gently pulling the younger boy into the room. 

“Of course. What can I do for you two?” Severus responded calmly, watching both boys, studying their body language closely for a moment. He had been keeping an eye of their relationship, partly because he knew Robert well, so he had expected the two of them at some point. Just not this soon. 

Elijah huffed, glaring at the floor. He didn't quite understand why they needed help with this. Arguing was normal in relationships, if his birth family was anything to go by. He had been afraid that the older boy wanted to break up with him, and he still was. Because Robert was afraid and he didn't want his boyfriend to be afraid to be with him. He just wasn't quite sure what he was afraid of. 

“We're...I...Please.” Robert answered, stumbling over the words filling his mind. He was scared, scared of hurting Elijah. He had very nearly broken the younger boy's fingers last night and Elijah didn't quite see it that way. But he knew the other boy was terrified he would break up with him. And while he had thought about it, to protect Elijah, he really didn't want to. He liked the younger boy, he liked him a lot. 

Severus bit back a sigh, gesturing to two chairs. “Sit, both of you.” He ordered quietly, studying Robert for a long moment. He knew what the younger man was asking but he also knew that if he responded to that request, neither boy would grow in this relationship. They had to learn to communicate their fears if this relationship was going to work. He wouldn't speak for the boy, either of them, but he could help facilitate the conversation and move it along. “Robert, why don't you try telling Elijah whats bothering you?” He suggested gently, meeting the boy's eyes for a long moment before the teenager looked away. 

Robert bit his lip, eyes focused on the edge of Severus' desk. Didn't the man understand that he couldn't tell Elijah? That he had tried but his mouth just wouldn't work? He didn't want to hurt Elijah but he also realized that his silence might hurt Elijah more than his hands ever could. “I'm afraid.” 

“Of?” Severus prompted, frowning when the teenager merely shrugged. “Robert?” 

“Are you afraid of me?” Elijah asked, shifting restlessly in his chair. He did not like being still, he preferred to move around. Alexis was always saying that he was just a bundle of raw energy, whatever that meant. He just knew that whatever the answer to the question, he wasn't sure if he really wanted to hear it. But he didn't think Severus would just let him flee. 

“What?! No! I'm afraid of hurting you! I almost hurt you yesterday!” Robert snapped, staring at the other boy with wide eyes. Elijah thought he was afraid of him? That was ridiculous! Elijah might have a temper but that boy wouldn't hurt anyone, not without a very good reason. 

“You didn't.” Elijah retorted, frowning slightly. Robert hadn't tried to hurt him, had he? He knew the other boy had not appreciated it when he touched him unexpectedly and he had smacked his hand away, but he hadn't hurt him. 

Severus raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly. Robert had tried to hurt the younger boy? Or was it that he had wanted to hurt the other boy but had stopped himself. The latter seemed more likely. “Robert?” He questioned softly, sighing when the child's eyes snapped to him. He wasn't sure if the fear in those eyes was directed at him or if Robert was still truly afraid of what he might do to someone on instinct. 

He took a deep breath, turning his eyes to meet Elijah's. “I came very close to breaking your fingers.” 

Severus closed his eyes for a moment, keeping his hands flat on his desk, where the boys could see them, even if he did want to pinch the bridge of his nose. It wouldn't be the first time Robert had tried to break someone's fingers. He knew what Robert was afraid of, besides hurting the other boy. He was afraid of scaring him away. The camp children had quickly proven to be a resilient bunch who understood each other, because all of them reacted on instinct sometimes. He opened his eyes, feeling the oncoming headache and surveyed the two boys once more.

“But you didn't.” 

Robert's eyes snapped to the other boy, frowning slightly. Elijah no longer looked confused. The other boy's expression was open, it was understanding and accepting. “What?” 

“You might have wanted to hurt me but you didn't. I shouldn't have touched you without your consent or knowledge. I would have reacted the same if someone had touched me and I hadn't expected it. Hell, Bain knocked me down once because I came up behind him and startled him.” Elijah responded slowly, meeting his boyfriend's eyes. He wasn't afraid of Robert and he wanted the older boy to understand that.

“But...You don't know that I won't.” He tilted his head slightly, staring into the younger boy's eyes. 

He rolled his eyes, shrugging slightly. “And? I know you would never hurt me on purpose, just as I would never purposely hurt you. But accidents happen and we tend to react on instinct. Dude, Ben punched Jake this morning and we both know he didn't mean to.” Elijah shook his head, meeting brown eyes once more. Ben had punched Jake at breakfast because the older man had spoken to him and touched his shoulder when he hadn't responded. Ben had reacted on instinct and swung out. It tended to happen at camp, that most of them responded to any kind of unexpected touch by instinct, and usually with violence. 

Robert frowned for a moment, shaking his head. Elijah made it sound so simple when he knew that it really wasn't that simple. He hadn't wanted to hurt Elijah, that was true, but he could have. And he didn't want to put the other boy in harms way. They had both been abused enough. “And if I do hurt you?” 

“Then we talk about it and move on. That's what Alexis does when Bain or Teddy or I lash out at her. I know we might hurt each other, Robert. But if we do, we can handle it. It's okay.” Elijah replied dryly. He understood why the older boy was still pressing the issue but it was driving him insane. 

Severus eyed the two boys for a moment before turning his eyes to focus on Robert. “I believe, what Elijah is trying to say is that there are going to be bumps in your relationship, that happens. But you will get past the bumps. Remus and I broke up once, because we were both afraid of hurting the other and neither of us would express that to each other. Breaking up to protect each other was one of the worst decisions that we made. We ended up hurting each other more. But once we started talking about those fears, communicating with each other about the hard stuff, it was easier to deal with the little bumps on our journey. There are going to be accidents; there are going to be days when you are mad at each other or not speaking to each other. But if you are determined to be together, you can get past that. Don't let the bad days overrule the good, Robert.” He remarked quietly, smiling softly at both boys when their eyes jump to him. 

He took a deep breath, staring at his head of house for a moment before turning his eyes back to his...boyfriend. “Okay. I'm still afraid of hurting you. But I hear what you are both saying. Baby steps?” He questioned, giving a half smile at the grin that broke out on Elijah's face. 

“Baby steps.” Elijah agreed, slowly extending his hand to Robert. The older boy didn't hesitate this time, taking and holding onto his hand. 

“If either of you have questions or just need someone to listen, I am here.” He offered nonchalantly, wanting both teenage boys to know that they were free to come to him, at any time, about anything. 

“Thanks Sev.” Robert grinned, giving a slight nod as Elijah slowly pulled him toward the door. He knew that he, at least, would be taking the older man up on that offer at some point. Having the other man there to even just listen to them had helped. Because he felt safe enough with Severus to completely speak his mind. He knew the older man would catch him when he fell.  
-x-

Alexis groaned, burying her head in her hands for a moment. She couldn't believe that she had done that. She didn't know how to fix it, either. Why, why did she have to respond to the younger woman like that?! She was her employer! She had probably just made the situation worse. And more awkward. She took a deep breath, forcing her mind to calm down. She needed to take care of this, but there was someone whose advice she needed first. She pushed her chair away from her desk, stalking to the fireplace in her office. She threw a handful of powder into it, grumbling to herself for a moment. She grimaced when it wasn't her brother who answered the floo call. 

Remus frowned, glancing at the floo for a moment before moving to see who needed something. “Alexis? “ 

“Where's Severus?” 

He gestured for the younger woman to floo over but she shook her head. He frowned, raising an eyebrow at her. Why did she have a faint smell of flowery perfume? “He's in his office, with students I believe. Did you need something?”

She grunted, shaking her head. She needed her brother, he would at least understand what had happened. “Tell him to floo me when he can.” Alexis stepped back, breaking the floo connection. She made her way to her favourite armchair, throwing herself into it. She hated this, hated not knowing what to do. She was sure that even the phoenix who had landed on the back of her chair couldn't help her out of this mess.

Remus frowned at the broken connection, sighing softly. Why hadn't she used the pendants, that she had created, to speak to Severus? Something had been off with Alexis and it wasn't just that odd whiff of perfume.   
-x-

“Did you hear me, Kate? Kate?” Mary furrowed her brows, hesitating for a moment. She didn't want to touch the young woman without her knowledge or consent. For one, Kate was likely to respond with violence or magic. Or usually both. She had made that mistake once and she wasn't going to make it again. At least Kate wasn't crying right now, even if her expression was blank, as if she had spaced out. But the younger woman did need to be focusing on her charges. Mary knew that her girls, the older girls, were always looking out for the young one; all the older teens looked after the younger children. That did not, however, mean that their counselors shouldn't be paying attention. Especially since they were outside and many of the children tended to disappear, usually the runners. 

Kate blinked, glancing around for a moment to locate each of her girls, as Rani had the afternoon off, before turning to Mary. “Did you say something?” 

“Are you alright?” She asked, knowing that she wouldn't get a real answer. Kate always said she was but her body language argued that she wasn't. 

She grinned, brown eyes lighting up for a moment. “I'm good.” She responded, before hesitating. Because while it had made her happy, it had also made her confused. What happened now? Could anything happen now?

She frowned, raising an eyebrow. Kate never answered that happily, nor had she seen that look on her face before. Mary studied her for a moment, watching the emotions flit across her unusually open face. She made a mental note to find out what was going on with the younger woman that evening. Something was definitely going on.  
-x-

Alexis rubbed her forehead with one hand, closing her eyes. Her legs were dangling over one side of the arm chair, even though she knew Minzi would scold her for it. She didn't care right now. She needed to think and that worked best when she was comfortable. “Gods. What was I thinking?” She mused aloud, pulling the memory of what happened after lunch to the front of her mind. 

“It's not your fault.” Alexis repeated, for the fourth time in as many minutes, sitting on the edge of her desk. She couldn't get the younger woman to sit down, to calm down. And while she understood what the younger woman was feeling, she was getting frustrated. Nothing she said was getting through to Kate. 

“I knew something was wrong. I should have done something.” She grimaced, pacing in front of the other woman. Alexis refused to accept her resignation, even though many would, and had, fired her for much less. Kate didn't even want to think about what Eric had implied. She knew it was partly her fault. She should had caught it, she knew something was wrong. But she had ignored her instinct, giving the little girl time to adjust to being at camp. And then Emma had ended up in the infirmary. She couldn't let it go. 

She took a deep breath, running her hand through her hair, grey eyes focused on the movement of the younger woman. “Stop this, Kathleen.” She ordered firmly, causing brown eyes to snap to her as the woman stilled. “Kate. You know better than this.” She added softly, eyes softening slightly. 

She grimaced, biting her lip. Deep down she knew there was nothing she could have done to stop Emma's core from maturing. A simple fall didn't cause it; her core had to have been on the verge. The child would have died if they had not gotten her when they did. But it hurt. It always hurt when her girls, her young preteens, were hurting and she couldn't do anything to make it better. Of course she blamed herself. One of her preteens was hurting and going through something now that they couldn't fix. She couldn't make it better. Drying their tears, holding them after nightmares, comforting and calming those girls, that's what she did. But she couldn't fix this with a hug. She felt helpless. “I can't fix this. I don't know how to fix this.” She whispered, forcing back her tears. She was tired and upset and angry at herself. Tim and Eric had tried but they couldn't make the guilt go away. She didn't think anything could. 

“You can't fix it. I can't fix it. What we can do is be there for that little girl. We can support her, we can love her, and we can help her feel safe here. I know it's hard, Kate, but we have to accept that we can't fix everything. These children need healing and that's not a quick fix. It will take time and lots of tears. But we, as a school, can do this together. You are not alone in this.” She replied, expecting the tears that started to fall from the younger woman's eyes. She slide off her desk, opening her arms to the woman. 

Kate nearly knocked her over, accepting the warm, comforting hug. It didn't stop the tears but she wasn't sure if much could right now. Alexis made sense, at least. She could be there for Emma, for all her girls, even if she couldn't fix everything. She couldn't make their pasts any easier, but she could help make their futures safe. 

She tighten her hold on the younger woman, offering her the comfort she obviously needed. She sniffed suddenly, catching a whiff of the light floral scent Kate tended to wear. The younger woman had finally relaxed against her, her tears slowing down. Alexis looked down into the tear streaked face as brown eyes met hers. Those brown eyes were finally calm, the warring emotions gone. She knew that the guilt wasn't completely gone but hopefully Kate would be able to let it go easier now. She hoped so anyway. She kept her eyes locked with the other woman, smiling softly when she bit her lip, looking away. Even though she would never peek into someone's mind without their permission, she had a pretty good idea about something Kate wanted. And that she, too, in that moment wanted. She tilted her head down, gently catching the younger woman's lips with her own.

Her eyes flew back to the Headmistress' for a moment as she relaxed into the kiss. She wasn't sure if the woman shared the same feelings that she did or if this was a 'heat of the moment' thing, but she found that she didn't care. Not one bit.

“Fuck.” She whispered, not looking up as the floo sounded. She knew who it was, after all. She had been down this road before, with Jane..as well as a few other women, and it hadn't worked out. Dating a coworker had never worked for her. And Kate was her employee, not just a coworker. She didn't have time for a relationship! Did she? She had felt how their magics responded to each other, after all. “Ugh.” 

“What happened?” Severus inquired, concern evident in his tone, dropping into his usual armchair with ease. 

“I think I made a mistake and I don't know how to fix it.”  
-x-  
Teddy frowned, turning over the package in front of him. It had no return address on it, just his name. Severus had taught the Slytherins to never open something that they didn't know who it was from without checking it for curses or bringing it to him. He turned it right side up, standing and moving toward where Phil was standing. Their group was outside, playing games, when the owl dropped a package into his lap. It wasn't an owl he recognized either. “Hey Phil? I don't know what this is. Can you check it for me?” He asked quietly, holding out the package. Alexis had also told the camp children that if they received something and they didn't know what it was, to have it checked first, as a safety precaution. 

The blue-haired man smiled down at the preteen, taking the package carefully. Most of the time, the packages turned out to be innocent but there had been a few, here and there, from parents who had lost custody and wanted to do harm. Phil tapped his wand to the package, frowning slightly at the yellow light. He hesitated, muttering a more complex spell and tapping it again. At the red light, he swore softly, vanishing the package quickly but not before wincing at the flash of pain. Someone had wrapped a spell around the package, so that if it was checked for curses, it would be triggered and attack the person checking it. If his reading was right, there was an explosive spell attached to the inside of the package. “It wasn't safe, Teddy. I'm sorry.” He stated calmly, grimacing at another flash of pain. He had sent the package to be neutralized, so that Alexis could find out where it originated from and send it off to the Aurors office. 

Teddy shrugged, tilting his head slightly to watch the older man. “It's okay. Did it bite you, Phil?” He questioned, looking around for Charlie. 

He gave the preteen a tight smile, feeling a wave of dizziness hit him. “It did.” He had no idea what curse was on the package but he did know that it hurt and he needed help. 

The brown-haired child grimaced, finally spotting Henry, who wasn't who he wanted but would have to do, and taking off toward the older man. “Henry! My package bit Phil!” He called, wishing that Karrie hadn't taken off, as she was good at feeling magic. 

Henry turned, glancing at the boy before jogging toward Phil. He got to the younger man just as he started to sway. He wrapped an arm around the younger man, to steady him, before running a diagnostic over blue-haired man. He swore softly, reaching for Phil's pendant. He tapped it twice before murmuring that activation phrase. “Das Krankenhaus.” He let go of the young man as he was transported to the infirmary. Henry turned, moving toward the boy who was watching him closely. He knew Eric could better help Phil and he also knew that even if the child hadn't activated whatever spells were on the package, he had been holding it. It was worth checking him over, at least. 

“Is Phil going to be okay?” Teddy asked, wary brown eyes eyeing Henry's wand. 

“I think he will be. Eric will look after him. May I scan you for spells, Teddy?” Henry inquired calmly, making sure to keep his wand, and hands, where the preteen could see them. When Teddy gave a hesitant nod, he waved his wand. The diagnostic scan he used would show any spells or curses on the child, even if it was just a trace. He let off a soft relieved sigh when his scan was negative, re-sheaving his wand. “Thank you, Teddy.” 

Teddy shrugged, taking the nod as a dismissal. He turned, taking off toward where Harry was reading a comic book under a tree. He had a new book on Dragons that Remus had given him, after all. He pushed the package from his mind, picking up his book and dropping to sit beside Harry. Karrie would come back eventually, so they would just sit and read until then.  
-x-  
“How is he?” 

“Sleeping. Thankfully, Henry got him here fast enough that I was able to neutralize the curse. Did you find out who sent it?” Eric questioned, turning to look at the young headmistress. If Teddy had ignore what they had told the children, if the boy had opened the package, there was a high chance it would have killed him. As it was, if Henry hadn't gotten Phil to him as fast as he had, the young man would have been worse off. 

She sighed, eyes focused on the blue-haired young man who had saved her son and the surrounding children. Once her and Severus had neutralized the package, they realized that the package had more than a curse in it. If Teddy had opened it, it would have exploded, doing much more harm than just the curse would have. She had sent it to the Auror's office, since she couldn't un-weave the magic to find the sender without triggering the explosives inside. “No. I sent it to the Aurors. I am not quite as capable at handling explosions as they are.” Alexis shrugged, gazing down at the young man. “Did his scans show anything...unusual?” 

“If you are talking about his self injurious behaviour while it is still presence, it has decreased greatly. Having a roommate who knows and having very little spare time to himself as probably helped with that.” Eric responded quietly, glancing at the grey eyed woman before turning his gaze, too, to rest on the young man. He had a feeling that Phil's self harm had decreased because his self worth had increased. He had a job where he was not just needed, but wanted. He also knew that Tim had told the young man that the children would model his behaviour, so that had helped as well. Eric knew that they probably won't be able to fully heal all the young minds at Hogwarts this summer, but they would just keep trying.   
-x-


	37. The Danger We Seek

-x-  
Ariana frowned, one hand wrapped around the struggling girl's wrist. "You do not need to go into the forest, Karrie. It isn't safe."

"Yes it is! Let go!" She hissed, trying to pull out of the older girl's hold. Of course Ariana would catch her when she tried to run. It was annoying, how often the older girl tracked her down and brought her back toward the castle, if not to her group.

The blond sighed softly, shaking her head. "No, Karrie, it's not safe. There are a lot of dangerous things in the forest. Besides, we've talked about this. Running away doesn't make your problems go away. It doesn't stop the conversations you don't want to have, it just postpones them. I know talking about it is...difficult but running doesn't solve anything." She responded, trying to keep her voice in the same calm tone Mary and Alexis used but she wasn't sure if it was working.

The dark-haired child frowned, glaring up at the teenager for a moment. She knew that Kate and Mary, all the adults really, worried about their safety. But she wasn't going to harm herself and she was safe in their little clearing. Maybe Ariana would believe her if she showed her. "If I can prove that I will be safe in the forest, will you leave me alone?"

"No. But if you can prove that you are safe there, I will go with you and let you have the quiet you seek." She replied firmly, offering a compromise. She wasn't going to leave a kid like Karrie by herself when the kid most needed to not be alone. Ariana understood what Karrie was feeling, what Karrie was trying to get away from. And that was exactly why she wouldn't leave her by herself.

She hesitated, biting her lip for a moment. "Okay. It's not far." She answered finally, resting her hand in Ariana's, knowing that the older girl would understand quickly. She gave a small smile when the older girl transferred her hold on her wrist to just a light hold on her hand. This way the older girl wouldn't get left behind if the magic didn't like her like it liked them.

She frowned slightly as she let Karrie lead her into the forest. She wasn't so sure that this was a good idea, but her wand was easily accessible and she knew Karrie was extremely intelligent. The younger girl wouldn't led her into danger purposefully. It was just that the forest was full of magical creatures and many of them were not fond of humans. She just hoped they didn't attract the attention of any of those creatures.

Karrie passed easily through the boundary of their clearing, giving a real smile when the magic easily accepted Ariana. She had a feeling that the magic here would accept almost all of the kids at camp. While Harry could see magic, she could feel it. It filled this clearing and it made her feel safe here. While she was starting to feel safe in Severus and Remus' quarters, starting to feel safe at Hogwarts again, she had never felt as safe as she did when she was here. And when she didn't want to think, didn't want to feel everyone elses magic, she came here.

She blinked, mouth dropping as her eyes took in the clearing. "What is this place, Karrie?" Ariana had never quite felt like this before, like she was completely safe here, like nothing could harm them here. Sure, she felt safe at the school but she was still wary there. Here, she felt different. That maybe here, the mask could come down and she could feel, if she wanted to.

She shrugged, glancing at the older girl as she moved to sit underneath the Rowan tree, it was her favourite place here. It did surprise her that she couldn't feel Ariana's magic here. "I'm not quite sure. I just know that we are safe here. Safer than we have ever been." Karrie responded finally, settling down and leaning her back against the tree. She closed her eyes, letting the calm and steady magic surround her. There was no chaos here, the magic here didn't overwhelm her. It was comforting more than it was anything else.

Ariana hesitated before settling down among the flowers. She knew Katie or Rani would be looking for Karrie eventually, but she didn't see why they couldn't stay here for just a little while.

-x-

Tim paused in his journey, glancing down at what the teenage boy was reading. Normally, he wouldn't read over any child's shoulder, unless he thought they were in danger. His instinct had made him glance at what Isaac was reading, a book that the young man shouldn't have access to. While Eric had been the one who had this talk with both Alexis and Remus, he knew that he could have it with Isaac. It wouldn't be the first time he had to explain this particular spell to a young person, he was a mind healer, after all. "Would you mind if I explained that spell to you, Isaac? I'm not nearly as dry as that old text." He remarked quietly, settling down in a nearby chair.

He flushed, glancing up from the chapter he was reading. He knew he shouldn't be reading this book, 'borrowed' from one of his counselors. Isaac was quite sure that the counselor who was reading the book wasn't reading it for the same reason that he was. He also had a feeling that Tim and Eric would not approve of him reading this particular book. "Yes sir." He mumbled, marking his place in the book and shutting it. He watched Tim with wary eyes, tapping his fingers on the cover of the book.

"Summoning and destroying personal demons is not what you think it is. Unlike mundane television shows, demons don't actually exist. The key word here is personal. This spell allows you to summon whatever your mind believes is the most dangerous and harmful toward you, your personal demons. The spell only ends if you manage to destroy, that is kill, the images it conjures. This is not a spell you want to attempt." Tim explained calmly, watching the dark skin youth's expressions, or lack thereof.

So it would probably summon a likeness of his father. To destroy a likeness of his father would be...therapeutic, right? So why was it something he wouldn't want to do? The thought of facing even just an image of his father, in the throes of one of his rages, was enough to give him pause though. Because as much as Isaac hated his father, he was still afraid of what the man was capable of, even if he never showed that fear to his father or in front of Damian. But an image couldn't harm him, surely? "Wouldn't it be beneficial to healing emotionally by facing these demons?" Isaac inquired finally, meeting the healer's eyes.

Leave it to this child to try and turn it around on him. All of the healers and counselors encouraged talking about the past and working through their problems to help the children heal mentally and emotionally. "Not like this Isaac. This spell puts you in a situation where the only way out is the death of the image or your death. If you can't destroy it completely during the initial struggle with it, it stays with you. It shows up when you are least expecting it and it draws on your magical core. It is a creation of magic and its sole purpose is to destroy you in any way it can. This is not something you want to mess with." Tim replied quietly, shaking his head. He didn't want to bury a child, not because of something that could be prevented. There was no reason for any of the children to cast such a spell, nor to have access to that particular book.

He was stronger than a spell, though. Wasn't he? Even if it drew on his own magic, he should be stronger than it. It was just an image, it wasn't real. "It's just an image. How much harm does it cause? Does it feed on something besides my magic?" He shrugged, face blank. He wasn't sure if he wanted to face his father, ever, but this was just a spell. He knew enough about magic, particularly old magic, to understand that it was more than a spell, but he didn't want to think about that right now. Magic was complicated and he knew it wasn't something to play with just to prove that he could, but for some reason he felt like pushing it with Tim today. He wasn't sure why, he just wanted to push.

Tim raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly. This child, with his interest in rituals and older magic, should know better. He was almost certain the boy did know better; because all magic could cause harm if used incorrectly. "It is more than an image. It is a manifestation of your worst nightmares and it feeds on your fear and magic. If you truly want to face your fears, there is a boggart that can be used for that. A boggart, at least, cannot kill you. Too many young people have died trying to use that spell, Isaac. It is not meant for actually defeating the manifestation. This is not something to mess with." He responded firmly, a slight warning in his tone. He then blinked, realizing that he had spoken to Isaac in the same manner he used to use, and sometimes still used, with Remus and Alexis. This child was quickly becoming his and Eric's.

"You have a boggart?" He inquired, interest sparking in his eyes. It would be interesting to see what his boggart was, although he could guess. He wasn't planning to try that spell, even if it had seemed interesting and he enjoyed experimenting. He didn't particularly want to die, who would look after Damien? Nor did he want to upset Tim or Eric, even if he wasn't quite sure of their intention toward him and Damien.

"I know the location of one. Were boggarts not covered in your Defense lessons?" Tim inquired, fighting back a smile at the child's curiosity. Alexis had been the same, interested and curious of everything magic, even when it was harmful.

Isaac shrugged, setting the book down. "In theory. But our professor that year was a theory-only type of teacher. We didn't get any hands on experience and we rarely learned new spells that year." Honestly, most of the Defense professors had been dismal.

That would change with Remus taking over the course. His son was a Master of Offensive and Defensive Magic, and he knew the younger man was already planning on how to compensate for his students lack of a decent education. "If you would like, I can show you the boggart this evening." Tim offered quietly, giving a slight smile when the teenager's eyes lit up.

"That would be great, sir." Isaac grinned, turning back to his book.

Tim shook his head, summoning a very different book. "Isaac, why don't we trade? I'll get this book back to its owner and you can read this one." He offered, holding out the book. Honestly, he was going to give this book to the teenager anyway. They were working on getting a copy to all of the older teens in Jake and Mary's group. There was a different book for the younger teens, although it was on the same topic.

Isaac frowned, accepting the book and reading the back cover of it. PTSD for Teens, really? It was definitely a mundane book, but it did seem a bit interesting. He opened it to the index, absently handing the other book over.

Tim gave a soft smile, moving to put the book on healing curses up until he could find its owner. It was a book that the majority of young healers read before attempting their Mastery, as some information from the book was important, if a bit outdated, so he knew it belonged to one of the counselors. He observed the teenager for a moment longer before going to finish what he had been working on.

-x-

Alexis frowned, glancing up from the parchment she was reading to the light above her office door. It was a counselor, hopefully no one was injured this time. "Come." She called as the knock came again.

Mary opened the door, stepping into the room with a slight frown. She observed the Headmistress for a moment, moving to sit at one of the chairs in front of the desk at the woman's nod. She wasn't particularly happy with the younger woman at the moment but she wasn't quite sure how to address that with her, as Alexis was technically her superior. "Are you busy?" She inquired quietly, glancing toward the parchment scattered in front of Alexis.

"Nothing that can't be handled later." She shrugged, setting the paper she was reading to the side. "What can I do for you, Mary?" For some reason Mary's body language indicted that she wasn't here as a friend. She wasn't quite sure what would cause the tension in the slightly older woman but she had a feeling she wouldn't like it.

She took a deep breath, meeting silver eyes easily. "I was wondering what exactly you were thinking that caused you to kiss Kate?" She inquired, brown eyes sparking with hidden anger. She had a feeling that Alexis hadn't been thinking, she was still young after all. They were all young. But Kate was not in a healthy place, the younger woman was a terrified, uncertain bundle of nerves most of the time. How would Kate handle it if things went badly? She was afraid that the younger woman wouldn't be able to handle it.

"That's none of your damn business." Alexis snapped, eyes flashing. She didn't have to explain herself to Mary, or anyone else for that matter. Which was good, because she didn't know how to explain it. She still wasn't quite sure what had caused her to do that in the heat of the moment. Even after talking to Severus, she was a bit uncertain about what she should do. She didn't particularly want to make things awkward between her and Kate, but she was also pretty sure that she didn't have time for a relationship. And what if it ended? What happened then? She didn't have a very good track record with relationships, after all.

She soften slightly, noting not just the defensive manner of the younger woman, but the uncertainty that Alexis was trying so hard to hide. "I'm not here to attack you, Alexis. My only goal is to protect Kate, who is emotionally fragile and not in the best state for a relationship." She replied quietly, observing the black-haired woman relax minutely.

"I'm sorry, Mary. I wasn't...I know Kate isn't ready for a relationship." She paused, dropping her eyes to her desk. "I honestly don't know what I was thinking or what I'm going to do about it." She explained finally, anger almost completely disappearing. The only anger left was directed at herself.

"You really do like her, don't you?" Mary remarked softly, causing the other woman to blush. Alexis looked so young in moments like this, it reminded her that the Headmistress was younger than her and was attempting a massive task of fixing and running Hogwarts. So young, with so many responsibilities that she handled so well, and yet she was so unsure of herself when it came to a relationship. "Alexis...remember when I told you that I could always listen, even if I might not always understand? My ears are open."

-x-

Charlie smiled, tilting his head back to better watch the preteen boys. The ten to thirteen year-old's were flying, those of them that wanted to fly. Granted, they had a height limiting spell in place, to make it safer for the boys who were underweight and malnourished, which was a least half of them. He was standing on the dirt pitch with his wand resting easily in his hand, just in case something went wrong. Although if the raven-haired child did not stop attempting the wronski feint, he was going to make him land. "Harry, for the second time, stop! Someone is going to get hurt." He ordered, shaking his head as the boy zoomed past.

Harry giggled, feeling the wind ruffling through his hair as he zoomed around the other boys. Teddy was flying slowly beside one of the younger boys. Although he could not hear what Teddy was saying, he could guess that he was probably offering comforting words to the younger boy. He scowled for a moment, wondering briefly if he should slow down and help before deciding against it. Teddy liked flying, but he didn't like flying the way he did. Teddy wasn't into the flips and twists and feints. Harry grinned, zooming in a loop around Billy and James, who were tossing a beach ball back and forth before zipping to the middle of the pitch to perform a backwards arch. He really wanted to try standing up on his broom and flipping, but he wasn't sure Charlie would let him. He wasn't a little kid though, he was old enough to try something without permission, as long as no one got hurt.

Teddy frowned slightly, glancing at his friend as the other boy flew past them again. Harry knew better than to try stunts around him and little Ben, it did help that they weren't as high up. He kept one hand on the slightly smaller boy's broom, as the eleven year old was still trying to figure out steering. It was his first time on a broom and Teddy was quite glad for the spell that kept Ben on his broom. The younger boy was tiring quickly, though. Flying wasn't easy, particularly the first time. "Ready to land? "He asked, taking the rapid nod as a yes. "Okay lean forward slightly and HARRY!" Teddy shouted, keeping a grasp on Ben's broom, even as his eyes focused on his friend. Charlie was going to kill him.

He grimaced, ignoring Teddy's shout even though he was sure Charlie was now watching him. He was standing, carefully with his feet apart, on his broom. Every time he tried to move his feet together, his broom tipped down. He had managed to stand on his broom before, during a Quidditch match, even if he had only stood on it for a few seconds before hitting the ground. And maybe he hadn't been as far up then, but he knew he could do this. The Quidditch pros did it, so he could too. Maybe if he keep his feet slightly apart, he could do a front flip and land back in a standing position on his broom.

"Harry Potter! Sit your butt on that broom now!" Charlie ordered, hand tightening on his wand. Was the child crazy? The net spell wasn't activated, as the boys weren't flying that high up. All of the new fliers and the youngest of the boys had tethering charms to keep them on their brooms. The older of the young boys had had enough time on brooms to handle flying low without tethering charms. And he was there to catch them if necessary, he just had hoped it wouldn't be necessary. Maybe he should have activated the net charm, the one used during Quidditch games in case a player happened to fall off their broom. The net wasn't visible, but everyone knew it was there just in case, so perhaps Harry thought it was active? It didn't matter, the child should not be standing on his broom!

Harry bit his lip, glancing down at Charlie and gulping. The ground was a lot further than he had thought it was. But he could do this! He had fallen further during matches and not been seriously injured, plus he had the glasses strap on, so his glasses wouldn't fall off. He took a deep breath, focusing on the broom as his feet left it, he was flipping through the air! He was doing it! And then his foot missed the broom and he was falling. He closed his eyes tight, preparing for impact and then...nothing. He opened one eye and blinked, realizing suddenly that he was still in the air, about ten feet above ground, but he was no longer falling. His body started to slowly descent again as he mind caught up to what must have happened. Charlie must have stopped his fall. His feet touched the ground and he felt the magic of the spell disappear, his eyes suddenly finding his trainers very interesting.

Charlie took a deep breath, forcing his fear and anger down. Honestly, it was mostly fear. That had been terrifying and his heart was still pounding. "Why in the world would you try something so dangerous, Harry? You could have been hurt, or worse!" He took another deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm. He didn't want to scare the preteen but he wasn't happy with him. That had been dangerous and unnecessary.

"I thought I could do it." Harry mumbled, green eyes focusing on the ground. He knew Charlie was upset with him and he thought he might know why. He had disobeyed him and he did realize it had been dangerous. It had been terrifying when his foot had missed the broom. He didn't usually feel fear when he was flying but that had scared him. "I'm sorry, Charlie."

"I know Harry. However, you are grounded from flying for the rest of the week. Never do that again, alright? I don't think my heart can take it." He crouched slightly, so that he was on the child's level, before gently tugging his chin up, so green eyes would have to meet his. He knew grounding the child would not make him happy, but he had warned the boys to not do anything stupid and he knew not letting Harry fly would have an impact on the child. It would show the young teen that he was serious about his safety and disappointed in his behavior. They promised the children consequences when they misbehaved, so this would work quite well.

Harry scowled, meeting Charlie's eyes for a moment before glaring at the ground. He liked flying! That sucked! But he did know it was fair. It had taken a couple of weeks, but almost all of the children no longer thought they would get beaten for disobeying. His group still had moments of uncertainty but he knew Charlie wouldn't hurt him and he wasn't afraid of him. He still wasn't used to being punished fairly, but he had a feeling that the other kids felt the same way. He bit his lip for a moment before nodding. "Okay Charlie. I didn't mean to scare you." He responded quietly, glancing at the older man before moving to put his broom away. He could play on the ground with some of the younger boys and Teddy, since Teddy was landing with the little first year. He might not like it, but he also knew it wasn't the end of the world. His uncle would never had punished him as fairly as Charlie and Phil did, or as Remus and Severus did.  
-x-

Ariana smiled slightly, glancing at the preteen walking beside her. She had finally realized how long they had been gone for and suggested to Karrie that they return to the school. She understood the younger girl's reluctance, as she had felt safe and comfortable in the clearing as well. She stopped suddenly, glancing around at the trees in confusion. She had thought that they were on the same oath they had taken into the forest, but it looked like they were going deeper in instead of heading out.

Karrie frowned, stopping beside Ariana. They had been on the right path, so how had they ended up here? She froze, feeling the magic around them "Ariana don't move." She whispered, holding perfectly still. If they didn't move, it would pass right by them.

Ariana became still, trying to see out of the corners of her eyes. She could just barely see movement on her right. As much as she wanted to look at it, something made her stay frozen. When she could no longer see the shape out of the corner of her eyes, she waited a few minutes before relaxing slightly. It was gone.

Karrie stayed frozen, feeling the magic circle around them. It must be able to smell them, even if it couldn't quite see them. She saw Ariana moved out of the corner of her eye and grimaced. "Stay still!"She hissed, feeling the magic stop. It had noticed them. She swore softly, blindly grabbing Ariana's hand. "RUN!" She pull at the older girl, taking off in the direction of where she could feel the castle's faint magic.

Ariana blinked before running beside the black-haired child. Just as Karrie had pulled on her, she had seen movement again. She wasn't quite sure what it was or if it was following them, but she didn't want to look back. She was afraid, she didn't know why, but she was.

Karrie kept running, holding tight to Ariana's hand. They were almost there, she could feel the magic of Hogwarts grow stronger as they got closer to the edge of the forest. So focused on the magic, Karrie didn't notice the fallen branch until she tripped over it, landing hard on the forest floor. She had let go of the older girl's hand in the fall, causing Ariana to stumble. She turned green eyes to the dark forest behind them, she could feel it coming, even if she couldn't see it yet. "Run Ariana! Go!" She hissed, forcing herself back to her feet, moving to put her small body between the older girl and the monster.

Ariana froze, staring at the little girl for a moment. She was not leaving her there! "I'm not leaving you, Karrie!" She could see that the younger girl was injured and while she couldn't see anything in the dark of the forest, she felt like something was watching them. She made a quick decision, picking the girl up and swinging her onto her hip. Karrie wasn't as little as Lila, but she was severely underweight for her age, so she could easily carry her. She started running again, a bit slower and more cautiously, now that she was carrying the injured preteen.

She blinked, wrapping her legs around Ariana's waist, her arms circling her neck. She kept her eyes focused on what was behind them, her magic alerting her to where it was. She lifted one hand, feeling the magic crawl over it. Karrie knew that she couldn't stop it, she didn't have the knowledge or strength to fight it alone. But she could slow it down. "Keep running Ariana." She whispered, focusing all of her attention on the magic around her hand. She took a deep breath, gathering as much magic around her hand as possible before shoving it into a wall between the creature and them. The wall wouldn't stop it but it should slow it down enough for them to escape the forest.

She didn't stop running until they were half-way across the grounds. She wasn't sure if it was still following them or if it had stopped at the edge of the forest. Karrie had relaxed against her, so she was guessing that it stopped following them. She wasn't even sure what it was. " What was that Karrie?" She continued walking, wanting to put as much distance between them and the forest as possible.

"A monster." Karrie shrugged, resting her head against Ariana's shoulder. She was tired all of a sudden and her leg had started hurting. She was sure it had been hurting before and she just hadn't noticed.

Jake frowned, eyes focusing on the young woman walking up the hill toward the castle. It took him a moment to recognize which teenager it was and who she was carrying. He moved away from his boys, going to meet her half way. "Ariana? Are you alright?" He questioned calmly, glancing at the blood covering her clothing. He wasn't sure what the girls had gotten into or which one of them was bleeding, but they both looked like they needed the infirmary.

"I'm okay. Karrie fell when we were leaving the forest." Ariana hesitated for a moment, biting her lip. But this was Jake, he would believe her if she said they had been chased. Mary, Jake, and Charlie had made it perfectly clear that they were on their side and that they cared about every member of their little group. "Something was chasing us."

Forest? They had been in the Forbidden Forest?! That explained why Rani couldn't find Karrie but it didn't explain what they were doing in there in the first place. "I'm going to assume that's Karrie's blood then. Do you know what was chasing you?" He responded calmly, slowly withdrawing his wand. "May I scan both of you?"

Ariana nodded, feeling the younger girl nod as well. Karrie was bleeding? She hadn't noticed in her panic to get as far away from there as possible. "I don't. "

"It was a monster." Karrie murmured, turning to look toward Jake. She was exhausted and in pain. She felt the diagnostic spell wash over her, letting the magic dance on her skin for a moment. She could tell that Ariana was drained and she knew she wasn't' exactly light, so she reach out with one arm toward Jake.

He easily took hold of the young girl, holding her up for a moment so that he could see her leg. She needed the infirmary, as her knee was dislocated, at the least, and bleeding. Jake moved her so that she was on his hip, feeling her wrap her arms and legs around him. He slowly moved his free arm, wrapping it gently around Ariana's shoulders. "Let's get you two inside." Eric could heal them and then he could find out what Karrie meant by a monster.

-x-  


"Are you sure you want to do this, Isaac?" Tim inquired softly, hand resting on the handle of the cupboard. They were in lower level arthimancy classroom, where Alexis had been meaning to take care of the boggart. Well, her and Remus were arguing over the boggart. Remus wanted it for his third and fourth years and Alexis was fine with that, but she wanted it moved somewhere else. Somewhere where younger teenagers wouldn't accidentally stumble upon it and have their abusive family members appear. He was pretty sure that was what would appear when Isaac stepped in front of it. The child barely spoke; the teenager had spoken more to him today than he had to anyone else in the last few weeks. So he wasn't certain that this wouldn't do more harm than good.

He was sure. He knew he could beat whatever it was and if he couldn't, for some reason, Tim was there to help. He was curious and so he was going to do it. He nodded, chewing on his lip for a moment, eyes focused on the door Tim was slowly opening. Isaac calmed his breathing, trying to get his mind into a meditative state, so that he could face the boggart objectively. He was not prepared for what came out of the cupboard.

"It's just a boggart Isaac. It's not real. Remember that. "Tim stated calmly, frowning at the man glowering at his child.

Just a boggart. It's just a boggart. His breathing got faster when the taller, brown-skinned man tossed a small bundle at his feet.

"Look at what you did, boy! You made him a freak too!"

Isaac cringed back as a fist swung out at him, forgetting briefly that it wasn't real. He scampered as far back as he could get, crouching down and moving an arm to protect his head. If he didn't move, it wouldn't hurt as much,. If he was quiet, Damien would be alright. That doll couldn't be his brother, it wasn't his brother. His brother was safe. Right? Damien was safe.

He didn't hesitate, stepping quickly between Isaac and the boggart.. He waved his hand at it as the image started to change, forcing it to move back into the cupboard. Tim cast a locking spell on the cupboard, so no one could happen upon it unaware, before moving quickly to the teenage boy who was curled up in a corner. He crouched down near the boy, not touching him. "Isaac, you are at Hogwarts. You are safe. There is a tile floor underneath you and a stone wall behind you. Damien is safe. You are safe." He remarked softly, trying to ground the boy in the here and now. "I know you are scared, but I am here with you. You are not alone."

The dark-skinned teenager slowly uncurled, easing his body into a more comfortable, although still protective, position. "I'm fine." He responded emotionlessly, eyes focused on the nearest wall. He forced his feelings down, knowing that his mask was up and he knew better than show what he was really feeling around adults.

Tim sighed softly, settling on to the floor and shifting into a comfortable position. He had made sure that he was far enough away from the teenager that Isaac wouldn't feel crowded or trapped. "You are not." If the child thought he was going to let him shut down after going through something like that, he clearly didn't know any of the mind-healers or counselors very well yet. He wouldn't make the boy talk, of course, but he also wasn't going to leave him by himself when he had to be experiencing a mixture of emotions.

Isaac wrapped an arm around his knees, drawing them up to his chest. He wasn't protecting himself as much as he was trying to calm his racing heart. It had seemed so real. He hadn't been expecting it to feel real. It was almost like he had been transported back to his father's house, back into that cellar. He had thought it would be a weak imitation of his father, a bad construct of him. Not that it would be the monster in his nightmares, the man his father really was. It took him a moment to realize that there were tears silently running down his cheek. He flushed, biting his lip. His father would have beat him for crying. He hadn't cried in a very long time, so why now?

"I know you don't want to talk about it, Isaac. But that's the only way to make it hurt less, to heal. You have to start letting it out." Tim stated quietly, watching the younger man. He knew Isaac was trying to hide his emotions, but he could still see them in those dark eyes. He could see the fear and the anger. The pain the child tried so desperately to hide. And it made him angry, although he was careful to not show any emotion. He wasn't angry at the teenager, of course. He was angry at the man who was suppose to love, protect, and guide this intelligent, curious, strong young man and his little brother. Gods help him if he ever met Isaac and Damien's father.

"I can't. Damien needs me to be strong." He whispered, keeping his eyes focused firmly on the floor. He didn't want to look at the healer, didn't want to see if there was pity on his face. Not that any of the healers or counselors here had looked at him with the pity and disgust he had expected.

"Talking doesn't make you weak." He frowned as the boy scoffed. "It doesn't. Keeping everything inside of you will slowly destroy you. By letting it out, by talking about it, you take away its power over you and it lets you heal. I'm not saying it is easy, Isaac. It's definitely not easy. And yes, it can be painful and the hurt won't go away right away. But the more you talk about it, the more power you take from it. Talking helps you to become healthier and yes, it makes you stronger." He replied firmly, wanting the child to understand what he was trying to say. He knew, however, that it would take more than this conversation to heal this child. There was a long journey ahead for each of the castle's children this summer, but he knew that it was possible. If only the children believed in their own abilities to heal.

He bit his lip, mulling it over for several minutes before giving the slightest nod. What the healer said made sense, even if he didn't particularly like talking about it. "He hated me, because I was different. I was terrified that he would realize that Damien was different too. That he would hurt Damien like he hurt me." He whispered finally, glancing up at Tim for a brief second.

"The boggart was a manifestation of that fear, Isaac. The fear that he might harm Damien. It is okay to be afraid, it is okay to have fears. Fear isn't necessarily a bad thing. He hurt Damien differently than he harmed you?" They had suspected that, actually, since the physical abuse done to Damien paled in comparison to Isaac's. Eric had actually been surprised that Isaac had survived that long and he knew that Isaac's group leaders had released some choice words when they read over his file.

"He hit Damien occasionally, but only when he was really drunk. Even when I was here...that's the only reason I left Damien there. But then his letter came and he started getting mean toward Damien too. So no, sir, he didn't torture Damien. Just me." He responded, emotionless. It didn't bother him that Damien had been treated better than he was; he was actually thankful for it. His younger brother was conditioned to obey but he hadn't been harmed in the same manner. Otherwise, he didn't think he could have left his brother there for six years by himself. He was just stating facts, he didn't have to really think about them.

He hesitated, well aware that one wrong word could end this conversation. "I am glad to hear that he didn't hurt Damien like that. I do wish, however, that he hadn't hurt you like that either." Tim responded finally, carefully studying the emotions under the teen's mask.

Isaac shrugged, brushing his hair away from his eyes. "It's nothing that I couldn't handle." Which wasn't quite true, but he didn't really want to think about it. Because thinking about the things that were done to him meant that he would also feel those emotions that he kept lock down. The fear, sadness, and anger that he tried so hard to keep under control. If he thought about it, he would have to feel and he didn't really want to feel. "I understand that what happened to me was wrong, sir. I know that it was." He added quietly, shaking his head. He fidgeted, tapping fingers to his knees.

"You shouldn't have had to handle it. No child should." Tim remarked, frowning when the teenager started shaking his head.

"No. No person should have to handle it, to have to endure it." Isaac retorted firmly, biting his lip when he met the healer's eyes. He knew what the healer meant, of course, and he knew the healer wasn't trying to make him sound young, he was young. But he firmly believed the no one deserved to be harmed at all, but especially like that.

Tim blinked before chuckling softly. He met startled eyes and very slow moved to rest a hand on the teenager's shoulder. "You are right, son. No person should be treated like that." The younger man had gone rigid when he had touched his shoulder and was now slowly relaxing.

Isaac relaxed, looking at the older man for a long moment. No one had ever called him son before, not like that. Not like they meant it. He wasn't quite sure what that feeling was but he decided he like it. He knew Tim and Eric were coming to care for them, he just hadn't realized that he was starting to care back.  
-x-


	38. Is the Danger We Find

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :'s are bonded conversations. This chapter has no title. Any ideas?

x-  
"What type of monster did you say?"

"She called it a nightmare monster. But that's not a real creature. I mean, that's the stuff of childrens nightmares. It can't actually exist." Jake frowned, chewing his lip for a moment. It wasn't that he didn't believe Karrie, it was more that he didn't want to believe Karrie. He had rather the little girl had named any other creature than that one. He had never seen a nightmare monster outside of dreams, but most adults tended to believe they didn't exist.

"We both know that it can and does exist. Whether or not we want it to, is a entirely different story. I take it Eric is going to tell Alexis?" Henry replied quietly, raising an eyebrow when Jake fidgeted and looked away. "Jake?"

"Karrie didn't tell Eric and I...didn't think to mention it. I can tell Alexis." He shrugged, moving to rifle through his desk drawer. He shifted through the mundane pens and notebooks, frowning slightly. He had a book in here somewhere that mentioned nightmare monsters, if he could find it. He had just had that book the other day, but now he couldn't seem to find it. "Have you seen my pysch book?" He inquired, not looking up from sorting through his mess of a desk.

"That's not a good idea, Jake. It would be better if it came from Eric or Tim." Henry remarked quietly, ignoring the glare he received at that. It would be better if Eric or Tim told Alexis, or hell even if he told Alexis. But it needed to be from someone older than Jake. And not because he didn't think she would believe Jake. He knew she would and he was almost certain that she would react without thinking it through. The younger woman would risk everything to keep her students safe, even her own life. Jake wouldn't be able to stop her. "Which psychology book?" He added, raising an eyebrow at the muttering of the younger man.

He was perfectly capable of filling Alexis in on this. It wasn't rocket science and he knew that she would take him seriously. He scowled at Henry, moving to rummage through his dresser drawers. That damn book was around here somewhere. "The Psychology of Fear." He grumbled, tossing his socks onto the floor, so that he could look down in the drawer. "I am capable of informing her. I will tell her this evening."

"Instead of dismantling our room, try a summoning spell." Henry suggested, shaking his head as he watched the younger man toss his pants onto the floor. Jake was not the most organized individual, he tended to just throw everything in a drawer and call it a day, which often led to him completely trashing their room to find something.

He glared at the older man, slipping his wand into his hand. Sometimes he forgot that he was a wizard, even after all these years. "Accio Psychology of Fear." He waited a few minutes before sliding his wand back into its holster. That had not worked so his book was clearly not in their room. He started re-stuffing his clothes back into the drawers.

Henry rolled his eyes, not bothering to look up from his writing this time. He needed to finish this report before continuing his discussion with Jake. It was not closed, despite what the younger man might think. Eric had been right, however, he was quite sure that Jake probably was and would be testing him, to figure out how he would react. It didn't matter that they had been sharing a room for almost a month, they were still learning each other. He had a feeling it was going to be a long evening.

-x-

"Have you ever used crutches before?" Rose inquired, standing beside the younger girl holding said crutches.

The black-haired child shook her head, biting her lip. Karrie knew it was temporary, that she would only need the crutches for a week, the cast for two. She had broken bones before, of course, but she had never broken her leg. Granted, it wasn't broken. Her knee had been dislocated and thanks to magic, the healing time was a lot shorter. But she knew that having crutches and a cast was going to upset her guardians. Because she had been hurt in a place she wasn't suppose to be. She just knew Severus and Remus would be angry. Eric had floo'd them, so she also knew they would be there soon.

"Okay Karrie, why don't we practice using the crutches and once I'm sure you got it down, I'll show you a charm to change the color of your cast." Rose remarked finally, when the girl didn't respond further. She knew bribing Karrie probably wasn't what Eric had wanted when he asked her to teach Karrie how to use the crutches. Then again, the older man bribed children all the time with promised treats if they would just be still and let him check them over.

"Can you do designs?" She asked, green eyes lighting up at the possibilities. She reached for the crutches, taking them when the older girl offered. She had seen Isaac using them and he made it seem so easy, so it couldn't be that hard. She pushed herself off the bed with her good leg, trying to balance her weight on the crutches. She grimaced, fighting down a wave of pain as she struggled to steady herself.

She wrapped an arm around the younger girl's waist, steadying her for a moment before fixing her hold on the crutches. "Slowly. You don't want to put weight on that leg. When you go to step with your injured leg, you should always move your crutches out first and then finish moving forward." Rose explained, helping the girl take a few tentative steps. She turned so that she was walking backwards, moving a few feet away from the preteen, motioning for her to keep walking forward.

Karrie took another tentative step, quickly getting the hang of it. Her steps became more sure the closer she moved to Rose. That was, before a thought occurred to her. "How am I going to manage the stairs?"

"The castle responds to the needs of its students, according to Alexis. If you stand on the top, or bottom, step with crutches, the step will carry you up or down. There's an activation word for it that Eric will give you before you leave." Rose responded calmly, smiling when the brief bit of anxiety vanished from the girl's eyes. "Okay, now walk from this side of the room to the other and then back."

She grunted but did what the older girl asked. She knew, from Ariana, that Rose was now apprenticing to Eric, so she knew that Rose was probably just following instructions. Their entire group knew that Rose wanted to be a healer when she was older, so she didn't mind even if walking with crutches was not as easy as Isaac had made it seem. "Isaac makes it look easy." She grumbled.

She sighed softly, shaking her head. "That's because Isaac has had a lot of practice with them. " Rose responded, watching the girl walk for a few more minutes. "You got the hang of it though. Would you like me to teach you how to do designs now?" She smiled when the preteen's eyes lit up, leading her back toward the bed. The spell was simple enough that she thought Karrie would get it quickly. The little girl had a way with magic, after all.

-x-

Remus frowned, watching his child from the window in Eric's office. "Did she say what was chasing them?" He inquired, running his hand across his face.

"Nothing beyond that it was a monster. I believe she told Jake, however. From what Ariana told me, Karrie injured herself by tripping." Eric responded quietly, eyes focused solely on his son. Rose would keep an eye on Karrie, so he wasn't worried about her slipping away. Especially with a cast of her foot and not having the activation spell for the stairs. He hesitated for a moment, because he knew how his son would react, but he also knew that he did need to know.

"She also told Ariana to leave her behind." He had already cast a locking and silencing charm on the door, expecting the sudden anger in his son's eyes.

"She did what?!" Remus growled, eyes quickly turning to amber. He took a deep breath, trying to force himself to calm down. He knew that if he approached Karrie like this, he would frighten her and he didn't want to do that. But the wolf inside him was raging because his little girl cared so little for her own safety.

He rested a firm hand on his eldest child's shoulder. "Easy, son. I know it is upsetting. But she is a severely abused little girl who doesn't value herself. It is something that we need to work on but right now, she is safe." Eric replied calmly, keeping his hand on the younger man's shoulder. He squeezed, feeling Remus relax slightly. "If I remember correctly, you once held similar views about your self worth." He added quietly.

He sighed softly, shaking his head. He knew what Eric was saying, of course. But he still didn't like it that his child cared so little for herself. He did know that he wasn't angry at her; even if he had been, he wouldn't have shown it to her. She didn't need that, she only needed to know that they loved her regardless of the trouble she tended to get herself into. "I know, dad. I just want to see to my child."

The dark-skinned healer nodded, squeezing his son shoulder once more before releasing him and unlocking the door. "She'll need crutches for at least a week. I'll examine her leg again then, just to make sure." He remarked, holding the door open for his son, eyes focusing on the young girl. Karrie was poking her cast with her fingers, grinning at it. It took him a moment to realize what exactly she was doing.

Rose glanced up when she heard Eric's office door open, glancing at the two men before turning her eyes back to the younger girl. She had shown Karrie the spell and, like she had expected, Karrie had gotten it fast. But now the younger girl was prodding the images with her fingers, doing something to the spell that she didn't quite grasp. She wasn't even sure that Karrie realized what she was doing.

She prodded the unicorn again, watching as its mane changed colors before it started galloping around her cast. She frowned slightly, biting her lip as she felt a change to the magic in to room, to the magic that danced on her skin. "Stop Eric." She ordered, tilting her head as she felt the magic retreat.

"I apologize, my petite fille. I didn't realize.." Eric stopped, smiling softly at the young girl. Alexis, Tim, and himself all had the ability to see magic and yet none of them had noticed the magic that buzzed around Karrie. She had noticed it the moment he tried to move the magic surrounding her, had noticed when he tried to examine it. Perhaps it only surrounded her like this when she played with it. There wasn't another word to describe what Karrie was doing. She was just playing with the magic, even though it wasn't active magic. This was not Harry's ability to manipulate active spells or see magic. This was different. The magic around Karrie was rubbing against her almost like a cat would, like it was her pet. He hadn't seen magic act like this in...well, ever.

"Eric?" Remus inquired, frowning slightly. Eric had that look on his face, the one he got when there was a particularly difficult puzzle in front of him.

Now that she wasn't playing with it, the magic seem to just settle around her. Eric tilted his head, letting his eyes not focus for a moment so that he could see only the magic. It hit him suddenly why she might be running from the castle so often if his hypothesis was correct. The only real way to know was to ask the girl but he had been working with children long enough to know that now was not the time. He would not receive any answer of substance from her now, not when she was shaken and scared. "Je suis pas sûr." He answered, shaking his head slightly before turning his attention back to what mattered at the moment.  
"Karrie is able to go home with you, Remus. I am sure she will heal better there than in here." He added, winking at the child. He was aware that Karrie was afraid of Remus' reactions to how she got hurt, but he wanted her to understand that he knew she would be safe there. So that maybe, with time, she would start believing it too.

Remus raised an eyebrow, biting his lip to keep from questioning his father. He knew that tone. Eric would not speak more on a subject until he knew more about it. He only wish he knew what the subject was. But for his father to switch languages like that, he knew it was something. "Are you ready to go home, Karrie?" He asked gently, moving to stand beside his child. He glanced at the cast, hating that it was necessary, before forcing down a chuckle. Only his child would have a rainbow unicorn prancing around her cast. A spell like that should have been way beyond a third year, but somehow that didn't surprise him.

She hesitated, focusing her eyes solely on her cast, now that Eric was not messing with the magic around her. Too much active magic and her senses got overwhelmed. It was one of the few things her and Harry argued about. He always wanted to mess with magic and she did not. She was content to just play with it as it was without trying to change it. "The stairs?"

"There is a Latin activation phrase to change the stairs for you. Currently it is 'placet auxilio'." Eric explained quietly. If the child forgot it, the Castle/s magic would often figure it out after a few steps. He had seen it with Isaac, when the child refused to use the activation phrase. Although with Karrie...it might work differently. Until he was certain of her magical abilities, he didn't know anything for sure.

"Placet auxilio." Karrie repeated slowly. Latin was not her favourite language and to have been suddenly thrust into it at eleven had not been fun. Luckily, Professor Flitwick taught all of the first years, even the wizard-born, Latin to make sure they could keep up easily with their classes. She now could speak it quite well, even though she was not fond of it; enough that she was almost certain that she was literally asking the stairs for help.

"Or you could just do what Daniel does." Rose teased, grinning when the younger girl stuck her tongue out.

Remus opened his mouth and then closed it, deciding he really didn't want to know what Daniel did. That boy was a force onto himself. Eric, however, didn't seem to agree with his thought that the less he knew the better.

"And what exactly does Daniel do to the stairs?" He inquired, raising an eyebrow when the younger girl giggled and the older one shrugged with a wicked grin.  
"I see. I would like to remind both of you that sliding down stair banisters is a good way to break your necks. And swearing angrily at the stairs is a good way to end up somewhere you should not be." The dark-skinned healer fought that urge to laugh at his apprentice's gaping mouth and the now wildly giggling preteen. He was well aware that Daniel probably did both, which was one of the reasons Alexis had added a barrier to keep anyone from falling over the railings, if they happened to be sitting on it.

Remus shook his head at his father, offering a hand to his preteen. He helped her maneuver to her feet, waiting until the crutches were in place before leading the way toward the floo. She could try out the stairs later, right now he just wanted to get his tired and hurt child back home. The one place he knew she would be safe, from herself and everything else.

-x-

Alexis smiled softly, watching her youngest son as he carefully put together a model of a dragon. Her friend from the reserve, Chris, had sent a package of dragon related goodies, in response to her inquire about age appropriate dragon books. Besides two different dragon models, the dragon rider had sent a coloring book of dragon anatomy, a handful of educational and informational books about dragons, and a picture of his dragon in mid-flight. She had a feeling that she might need to add protection spells to the picture, as Teddy was currently carrying it around in his pocket and she wasn't so sure that it wouldn't go under his pillow at night.

"Alexis?" Teddy didn't bother looking up from his model, using the coffee table as his work space. It was a pretty cool model of a Chinese Fireball, even if it didn't move like his figures did. He hadn't seen models like these before, not of dragons at least.

"Yes?" She raised an eyebrow, glancing up from the work she had been attempting to do. But her preteen's enthusiasm was much more entertaining than the work she had to do.

He hesitated, biting the inside of his cheek as he finished putting together one of the small wings. "I want to work with dragons when I'm older but there weren't any career books on it." He stated finally, carefully attaching the wing to the back of the dragon's torso.

She hated that Hogwarts' curriculum was such that thirteen year olds had to decide what path they wanted to take in life. She was slowly working to change that. Most students would change career paths several times before they graduated and several more times at university. Very few knew exactly what they wanted to do in life at the age of thirteen. It also didn't make her happy that Albus had not even provided half of the information to students. Their heads of houses had to fill in the gaps. She knew the Slytherins and Ravenclaws were told to take the classes that interested them and to not worry about choosing a career just yet. But she did understand why Severus wouldn't have a book on dragon-related fields. The truth was there were very few books about the dragon related careers. It was a career field much like touch-healing. You were chosen for it, you didn't choose it. "There aren't very many career books on dragons. The best plan is to study magical creatures to start, that's how most dragon handlers get into the field. " She responded finally, watching his shoulders droop. "That doesn't mean you won't be able to work with dragons, Teddy. It's a very hard field to get into but it is possible. If that is what you want to do, I will make sure you get the information you need." She added calmly.

He looked up at her for a moment before nodding. If Alexis said she would get him information, he knew she would. He was just happy that she was not against his career choice. Unlike his friends, he was quite sure that he would not change his mind when he got older. "You know a dragon rider, Alexis?" He inquired, eyes going back the his model. One wing down, one to go. The wings were the hardest part. The pieces were small and had to be placed just right before the small piece of see-through silk could be attached.

She snorted, picking up the letter Chris had sent to her. She had opened it, glanced at it, and set it aside. After all, when the first thing he wrote was that he needed a favour, she knew she needed to read it when she wasn't doing a hundred other things. But he had also included an old photo of them, that his master had taken. She removed the photo, setting aside the letter, and gazed at it for a moment before holding it out to her son. "I know several dragon riders, handlers, keepers, researchers, and healers, Teddy. This is the one who sent you the models."

Teddy turned, looking away from the model and taking the photo she offered. He stared at it for a moment, mouth gaping, before turning brown eyes to meet grey. "You rode a dragon?!" There was his Alexis, legs and arms wrapped around a young man who had to be the dragon rider, in mid-flight.

She shuddered, grimacing for a moment. "I did. That was the first and last time I was on a dragon. Chris is a master dragon rider now, but in that picture he was just an apprentice and I was his healer. It was my last day on the reserve, so he had asked his master if he could take me up." She explained, shaking her head. They hadn't been in the air very long at all before Chris has decided to land.

"You didn't like it?" That was crazy, how could someone not like riding a dragon? They were big, powerful, beautiful creatures. They deserved respect and he had always wanted to ride one, even if it was just once.

"I'm not a fan of flying. We landed not long after that photo was taken." Alexis took the photo back, tapped it with her wand to duplicate it before handing the duplicate back to her son. "You can keep that if you like." She remarked quietly, having seen that look in his eyes. She frowned suddenly, glancing toward the door to her office, raising an eyebrow at the color of the light. A staff member then. "I'll be back in a bit boys." She stated, standing slowly. Her older two had just wondered into the room, one of his way to raid the fridge, again, and she wasn't quite sure what Elijah was up to. She quickly disappeared through the door to her office, hoping nothing was seriously wrong this time.

"Bain, can you put that spell on this, the one that will keep it from getting dirty or torn?" Teddy asked, glancing toward the older boy, holding out the photograph of Alexis. He knew Alexis would have done it but he also knew that she didn't have a lot of spare time right now.

Bain emerged from the kitchen with a plate of sandwiches. He set the plate down on one end of the coffee table, away from where Teddy was building and took the photo. He tapped it with his wand, muttering the incantation, before really looking at it. He blinked, nudging Elijah, who had flopped onto the couch, with his foot. "It's mum!"

Elijah blinked, confused, taking the photo and staring at it for a long moment. "She rode a dragon?" It was clearly Alexis and she looked like she was Bain's age, if a little older. She also looked terrified. While he enjoyed flying, he couldn't imagine flying on a dragon, which was an unpredictable creature that could go from calm to rage in seconds.

Teddy shrugged taking the photo back and putting it in his pocket before turning back to his model. "She worked on a dragon reserve as a mind-healer." He explained, smirking at their expressions for a moment. It felt good to know something that the older boys had not. They knew a lot more about magic than he did and they taught him a lot, but he did like being able to explain something to them that they didn't know.

"Damn. Dragon reserves are not easy places to work, especially as a healer." Bain shrugged, setting a peanut butter sandwich on a napkin next to Teddy before offering a turkey sandwich to Elijah.

Elijah shook his head, picking up the book he had been reading earlier. "No thanks. Dragon reserves can also be dangerous places to work, particularly if you are not trained to work with dragons. I wonder if Alexis has any stories she would be willing to share." He remarked, glancing at his brothers.

Bain sighed softly, shaking his head. "Just eat half the sandwich, Elijah. You didn't eat lunch." He requested, frowning at the younger boy.

"Or breakfast." Teddy chimed in, taking a bit of his sandwich. Bain always seemed to know when he was hungry. Perhaps that was because the older boy was always hungry himself. He was hungry more often now that he was getting regular meals, but he knew he wasn't the only one. The counselors had taken to making sure they had access to snacks. According to Rose, it had something to do with their bodies trying to adjust to proper meals and nutrition. He wasn't sure if Rose was correct, but he did know he was hungry more now. "We could always ask Alexis for stories."

He grimaced, glaring at the sandwich like it had personally offended him. He wasn't hungry. Or well, maybe he was a little hungry. But Bain didn't have to give him that look! He was capable of feeding himself when he wanted to. Besides, he wasn't the only one to skip meals in their family. "Mum didn't eat either and you aren't forcing sandwiches on her."

"Mum's a grown up. Besides Eric made her drink a protein shake." Teddy retorted, making a face. Protein shakes were even worse than nutritional potions, particularly the mundane protein shakes. He thought they tasted disgusting but Alexis seemed to not mind the taste, not that either adult knew he had seen that.

Bain blinked, glancing at Teddy for a moment. He was pretty sure the adults hadn't known Teddy was there. "Teddy is right, Elijah. Mum is an adult, you are not. Now unless you would like for her to find out that you are not eating, at least try to eat half of the sandwich. It's turkey. You like turkey." He added quietly, hating that he had to add threats to get his brother to eat. He was aware, however, that Alexis probably knew that Elijah wasn't eating. He had seen how Elijah's counselors were watching him at meal times and he had noticed that Alexis was keeping an eye on him as well. So clearly they knew something was going on and was either trying to gather enough proof to confront him or waiting to see how deep it ran. He wasn't quite sure, he wasn't a mind-healer after all.

Elijah grumbled but finally accepted half of the sandwich. He glared at his brothers, who were both watching him, and took a small bite. It was good, so good that he took another small bite, shifting so that he could still read his book.

Teddy gave a small smirk, watching Elijah eat for a moment before turning back to his model. He knew that Elijah would eat at least the half he had, because the older boy was hungry. And Bain made the best sandwiches.

-x-

Alexis frowned, following that barely there trail of magic through the forest. She glanced over at Jake, sighing softly. She hadn't wanted him to come. She had the magic of Hogwarts running through her veins and she had faced a creature like this before. He had not and she didn't want to put him through that. It didn't help that they were mostly blind out here, following a trail of magic that she wasn't even sure belonged to this creature. It was also starting to get dark, which meant this creature would be hunting. It also meant she couldn't cast a shield because it would be drawn to their magic. Or perhaps that was the best way to find it. "Are you sure you are up for this, Jake?" She hissed, trying to keep her voice low. She would rather they find it than it hunt them, even if it hunting them would be faster.

"Of course." He hissed back, frowning slightly. That was about the fifth time she had asked him that. When he had told her what Karrie had said, she had gone almost completely white. He wasn't going to let her go after it alone and there was no way he could have prevented her from going once he had told her. He hadn't thought that she would immediately decide to go after it. Perhaps that was why Henry had warned him against telling her. He wasn't even sure what exactly they were going to be up against. "Have you seen one before?" He asked, grimacing at that flash of fear in her eyes when she glanced back at him. That was a yes then.

"Hush, Jake. We don't want it to find us first." She whispered, shaking her head. She had come into contact with one before and it was something she had never wanted to do again. It was truly a creature of nightmares but she would not have it near her school. She knew why it was there, of course. It fed off of nightmares, specifically the nightmares of children and she had a school full of the type of children it relished. Children whose nightmares were horrific, children who often feared sleep because of the ever present night terrors. This horrid creature drew strength from their nightmares and used that to grow stronger, so that it could hunt these children within their own nightmares. She would not let it harm her students, even if that meant breaking a promise she had made years before.

Jake turned suddenly, feeling something behind him. But there was nothing. He frowned, glancing at Alexis who had her wand in hand all of a sudden. He quickly unsheathed his wand, moving so that they were closer together. He followed her as they slowly moved deeper into the forest. He glanced to his left, having the feeling of something watching them. He blinked, looking again before moving to keep up with her. He could have sworn that he had seen eyes over there but they were gone now. The deeper they went, the more he felt like they were being watched on all sides. He didn't know if he was just being paranoid or if something was really watching them.

She frowned, confused for a moment. She wasn't quite sure where they were, even as she still followed the slight trail of magic. Alexis gazed around, looking for the markers she knew should be there. Hagrid had shown them to her the second or third time he had found her wandering in the forest, back when she started at Hogwarts. There were markers throughout the forest to help mark paths and areas to stay away from. She knew they had passed the path for the acromuntalas, she was quite certain she had seen one or two of them. She would definitely keep that promise. They weren't going anywhere near those overgrown monstrous spiders that Hagrid seemed to love, not if she could help it. She was afraid that they might encounter something even more dangerous than the spiders. She stopped suddenly, tilting her head slightly. She could feel the edge of the wards here, they were very close to leaving the castle's wards, even if she still wasn't sure where they were. exactly "We need to go back. The wards end not far from here." She remarked quietly, turning to face Jake and to see if there were any markers near them. Hagrid had told her there was a marker near the edge of the wards but she couldn't see it here. Although, the forest stretched around them for miles, so the marker could be anywhere. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and focusing on the feel of Hogwarts. She located the school in her mind, turning in that direction. She opened her eyes, shaking her head slightly. They were far off the path.

He turned in the direction Alexis had started moving, hesitating at the flash of...something he had seen out of the corner of his eye. "What does this thing look like?" He whispered, moving so that they were closer together. He had a bad feeling about this.

"Like a shade or a shadow. But if we see that, we're fucked. Before it feasts, it is just a wisp. Let's hope it stays a wisp." She whispered back, eyes darting around. She couldn't focus on the trail of magic and the pull of Hogwarts, so she took a deep breath, sent up a silent prayer, and tuned her magic back to Hogwarts. She would still feel it if the nightmare creature was near them, but she was no longer actively tracking it. She just hoped they didn't walk into a trap.

The feeling that they were being watched was getting stronger. He wasn't so sure that they weren't being followed, although he didn't know if it was the monster following them or something else. He had a bad feeling about this, it was almost as if..

"Fuck." Alexis swore softly, eyes darting around them as she finally found a path marker. It was a trap. They were trapped with a stone formation on one side of them and trees all around. This was one of the original walls that were used to mark the boundary of Hogwarts. Now the boundary spread further out but the old wall was still here. There were only two reasons something would trap them here, this far into the forest and both of those reasons involved devouring them. They needed a plan and fast.

Jake's eyes focused on the solid stone wall, worrying his lip between his teeth for a quick second. "If we put our backs to the wall, it can only approach on three sides." He offered quietly, moving to do just that. He wasn't sure this monster used physical attacks but even if it didn't, getting so that it couldn't circle around them would help their chances.

"It doesn't have to be close to attack but..." Alexis trailed off, feeling old residual magic from Hogwarts, this is where the wards were hundreds of years ago. They could use that to their advantage. She searched her robes for a moment, looking for something sharp before glancing sideways at him. "Do you have a pocket knife?"

Jake raised an eyebrow, glancing at her. She had moved so that they were side by side, backs pressed against the stone wall. "No." He answered finally, not quite sure what she was planning.

Alexis hesitated, picking up a stick. If she cast magic, it would be on them in seconds but she needed blood, her blood, to make the barrier stronger, so that it would hold. She had two options then: she could transfigure the stick, which would take longer and she wasn't the best at, or she could use a cutting spell on her palm, which would be faster and easier. She dropped the stick, slashing her wand against her right hand. She quickly turned her hand, letting the blood drop onto the ground as she murmured the strongest barrier incantation she knew.

He felt the magic blaze around them, even as something hit the barrier hard. A glance at Alexis told him quickly that she was struggling to hold the barrier. They had to destroy this creature fast. "How do we stop it?" He grimaced, feeling her fumble beside him as the spell faltered. He grabbed her free hand, giving her a bit of his strength. The barrier stabilized once more and he could barely make out a wisp of something on the other side.

"You have to cast Lumos. Infuse it was your strongest happiest memories and cast it! It feeds on fear and hate, Jake. I can't cast both." She stated firmly, keeping her eyes locked on her barrier. If she looked for it she would falter. Her barrier was keeping the fear it created away, for the moment. But eventually she would tire and the thoughts would creep in, the nightmares would invade until it weakened them enough to feast on their fear and magic.

His happiest memories. He blinked, shaking his head after a moment. Jake was aware that she knew exactly what she was asking him to do. But he knew he could, he hoped. He could cast a patronus, after all, so he had some happy memories. He had just never tried to infuse a spell with memories before, although he had infused ones with anger. He had a feeling that wouldn't work here. Jake took a deep breath, steadying his wand in his hand and closing his eyes. Happy. He needed to find good memories. It almost took him by surprise how many recent good moments he had had: hugging Charlie; hanging out with Alexis and Mary; talking to Henry; swinging a giggling Lila through the air; the pride he felt when Milo sincerely apologized to Marko; the first time he saw Daniel smile; when Elijah had trusted him; when Rose made him laugh; when little Lila crawled into his lap after group every night... Moments he didn't really think about, didn't really stand out as something momentous. But when he thought about what happy meant, it was those moments that came to mind first. He opened his eyes, focusing on those moments for a second. "Lumos Maximum!"

-x-

Jake came to slowly, keeping his eyes closed until he could figure out where he was. He was pretty certain he was no longer in the forest, as he couldn't smell the trees. It took a moment for it to sink in that he was laying on something soft, another moment for it to register that he was in the infirmary. He groaned softly, opening his eyes and blinking rapidly at the light.

"Good, you're awake." Tim remarked quietly, leaning forward in his chair. The two young adults were extremely lucky to be alive and while they didn't know the details yet, he could tell from the magical drain that Jake was a big part of the reason they were alive.

"Alexis." He croaked softly, coughing slightly to clear his throat. He took the glass of water Tim held out, lifting himself up enough to sip it. Merlin was he exhausted. His very bones ached and he couldn't remember anything after casting Lumos. Nothing.

He frowned, moving to lift the back of the bed up so that Jake could sit up with ease. "Try not to move too much. You are suffering from severe magical exhaustion, as well as a few minor bruises. Alexis is still out, she's right over there. You are both very lucky. Do you feel up to telling me what happened?" He inquired quietly, gesturing to where Alexis was. He wasn't sure Jake was there enough to tell him exactly what had happened. They could guess, of course. And from the state Alexis was in, they were almost certain what had happened.

He turned his head, scanning Alexis with his eyes to make sure she was in one piece. It took a second for it to click in before his eyes zoomed back to her wrists, which were each secured to the side of the bed. "Why is she restrained?"

Tim hesitated for a moment before shaking his head slightly. There was no reason not to tell the younger man. It turned out he didn't have to, however, as Alexis' body became violently active again, her hands trying to tear away from the restrains. He bit his lip, not bothering to hide the worry in his eyes as Eric quickly moved to calm the still unconscious woman down. "Her mind is still fighting off the side effects of the creature. It is not the first time she has been in close contact with a creature of nightmares and that can, well reawaken nightmares. We restrained her to protect her from herself. When she is awake and lucid, we will remove them. Now, I am aware that you two encountered a nightmare creature after actively seeking it out, but I am not quite sure of the details involved. I know you are exhausted, Jake. Right now, the only thing we need to know is what you cast to drain you of your magic like this, so that we can give you the right potions to help." Tim responded, studying the young man for a moment before slowly holding up his wand. At the young man's nod, he cast a silent diagnostic spell, frowning slightly. The younger man's magic levels were still too low, he would definitely need a few more replenishers.

"It was just a lumos, a lumos maximum." Jake grimaced, trying to ignore the wave of pain that made him want to lay back down.

"A Lumos did this? What on earth did you do to it to make it that strong?" He responded in disbelief, raising an eyebrow. A simple lumos shouldn't have drained his magic so much, nor had he ever seen a lumos destroy a creature in that manner. That didn't help with what potion to give him either. He sighed softly, summoning yet another basic replenisher and offering it to the younger man.

He shrugged, taking and drinking the potion. He knew it would make him go back to sleep, so he didn't protest when Tim lower the top of the bed back down. "I filled it with happy thoughts?" He shrugged again, feeling his eyes start to flutter.

Tim sighed softly, watching the young man sleep for a moment before getting up and moving toward where Eric stood, watching their child sleep. "He said he cast a lumos full of 'happy thoughts'." He murmured, leaning into the dark skinned man's side when his husband placed an arm around his shoulder.

"She will be alright, Tim. She has fought this battle before and survived, she will survive it again." Eric remarked quietly, responding to the fear he could feel from his partner before it registered what he had said. "A lumos? Really? That's unusual for it to be that strong unless he filled it with love and passion. Happiness alone would not have created that effect on the creature, it would have just driven it off. It's possible, given his life this far, that he isn't quite aware of what those feelings feel like and instead just considers them as part of joy, which in theory they are."

"Henry's not happy." Tim stated, wrapping an arm around Eric's waist as the arm tightened around his shoulder. Leave it to his husband to bring up the theory of emotions when he knew the older man was having trouble controlling his own emotions.

"Of course not. He told Jake that telling Alexis would only lead to more problems. He also warned Jake of doing something stupid and dangerous. Put his life on the line to track down a creature when there were safer options is not just risky, it was rash and dangerous. Henry has the right to be angry."

:Are you talking of Henry or yourself here?: Tim questioned silently, switching methods of communication to keep their conversation private when Rose wandered into the room with a small stuffed dragon, which she quietly placed beside Alexis. "Rose?"

:I warned her, Tim! I told her the dangers of coming in contact with one twice, I told her that it could kill her. And she promised me that she would never seek one out again, that she would be careful. That she would think first. So yes, I am angry now that the fear has subsided. : He responded, keeping his face carefully clear of emotions. He would prefer if his apprentice didn't think he was upset about something that she couldn't hear, because she was likely to think he was upset with her. "Isn't that Teddy's?"

She bit her lip, not meeting either man's eyes for a moment. She knew she wasn't suppose to tell anyone when someone came in sick or hurt, it was a patient right thing after all, but she had to tell Bain and Teddy heard. "Teddy wanted me to make sure she had it, to protect her." She replied quietly, eyes focusing on her shoes.

"That's a wonderful idea, Rose. It might help keep her calm, particularly if it has traces of Teddy's magic on it." Eric stated calmly, smiling softly at the girl. While he would talk to her about patient privacy later, he did understand why she told Bain. The dragon might even help.

"Why are you angry?" She inquired suddenly, darting her eyes up for a brief second.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Why are you so angry at Alexis? I can feel it." Rose clarified, shrugging slightly. While they were still trying to teach her to mediate and the two adults were trying to figure out their bond, she was finally beginning to tell when an emotion she was feeling didn't belong to her, even though it was very tough sometimes. They've only had this bond a week, if that, and she usually struggled to separate her feelings from the emotions she could feel from Eric and Alexis.

He took a breath, closing his eyes for a brief moment. Of course the teenager would feel his anger even though he kept forcing it back down. He had known that Tim would feel it, but he hadn't thought Rose would have been able to. She probably wouldn't have felt it if she hadn't been there at that moment. He knew that lying to her would break the little trust she had for him, so he would just tell her a simplified version of the truth. "She broke a promise that she had made to me a few years ago, so I am a bit upset with her at the moment."

She frowned, watching him for a moment. He was clearly more than a bit upset but Rose did understand that it wasn't really her business. She turned suddenly, feeling the agitation from the Headmistress. She froze, watching as Alexis became wildly violent and taking a step back. She had never thought she would see the headmistress like that and she almost wished she hadn't. She didn't want to think of Alexis as violent. She flinched at the hand on her shoulder, tilting her head back to see Eric. "Is she.."

"Alexis' mind is trying to fight off the creature she encountered. It feeds on nightmares. Her body is physically reacting to the fight inside her mind. She will be alright, Rose. It just takes some time." Eric soothed, adding a bit of calm to his magic, hoping that the teenager would feel it. He was quite aware that seeing Alexis like this would upset the girl, or any of the students for that matter. The headmistress had made herself into their rock, into an unchanging calm, someone who cared about them no matter what. To see her violently lashing out might cause them to see their abusers in her, even if just for a second.

She hesitated before pulling away from him and moving closer toward Alexis. Rose had a theory but she wasn't quite sure if it would work. She did know that if she asked, Eric wouldn't let her try it. She took a deep breath, gently resting her hand on Alexis' arm. She focused for a moment, doing what she had done with Emma and Karrie, bleeding some of the negative magic off of her.

"Rose!" Eric moved quickly, casting a diagnostic spell on both young women. He was going to have to have a serious conversation with the brunette about giving and taking magic from others. The girl did it without thought, without any concern for the consequences that messing with others magic could cause. He frowned suddenly, watching as Alexis' body stilled.

Rose grimaced, fighting the wave of sudden pain. That was new.

Eric turned, catching the teenager as she fell. A quick scan showed that she had fainted, he could only assume it was from leeching magic off of Alexis. He lifted her gently, moving toward a nearby bed and nodding to his husband when Tim moved the covers for him. He laid her down, running his wand over her again. He wasn't quite sure why the teenager had fainted, although his spell showed slight magical exhaustion that wouldn't have caused her to faint.

"Eric." Tim called softly, tilting his head slightly, eyes going from Alexis to Rose. He let his vision blur again, focusing on the magic between them. "Look at the magic."

He blinked, letting his eyes unfocus for a moment so that he could see only the deeper aspect of magic. He could always see surface level magic, they both could, but studying the deeper aspects of magic was harder and draining. Because they weren't looking at the magic of the person anymore; they were looking at how nature's magic was shaped by someone's inactive magic, by their very presence. At the moment, that was the teenager girl's magic they were studying and it was both fascinating and terrifying. "This isn't suppose to be possible, not for human mages."

"Is she fully human?" Tim inquired, watching the mass of magic between the two women. Negative energy and magic the could only be from the nightmare creature was drifting slowly out of Alexis and through Rose. Not into Rose, but through her and back into the earth. But the energy and magic flowing from the teen and into the earth was clean and pure. There was no taint of the creature and no sign of human use on the magic. Somehow the girl was moving magic through herself and returning it to its original form. And yet, none of that magic was sticking to the girl. "How is she able to do this and at what cost? How did no one see this?"

He sighed softly, letting his eyes return to normal. "She is like a leech, Tim. She's bleeding the excess magic off of her, just like she did for Emma. Somehow she mixed her magic with mine and Alexis when she tried to help Emma but she doesn't seem to be doing that here. I'm not quite sure how she is able to do this and I have a feeling we will need to have a talk with her about bleeding off others without their consent." He responded quietly, studying the younger girl for a long moment. It was almost concerning on how she was filtering Alexis' magic while still unconscious. It was almost like she was an actual leech.

Tim frowned, moving to sit beside Alexis' bed. "You will need to talk to her. She made it quite clear that she didn't have to listen to me this morning." He had also grounded her, which she had pointedly ignored. He wasn't so sure they could handle two stubborn, angry teenagers at once.

"We will talk to her together. This isn't our first rodeo, Tim. She might be my apprentice but she is our ward. She will learn to listen to both of us if she doesn't want to spend all of her free time in our quarters or her room. I know that we usually only have one teenager at a time, but we can handle this. They are three very different children and each one has their own set of needs. We will make this work." Eric answered firmly, frowning slightly. He wasn't quite sure what Rose had said to upset Tim but he did know that both teenagers needed time and patience right now. The preteen was so much easier, although he did know that eventually Damian would be a teenager as well.

Tim nodded, watching Alexis sleep for a moment before summoning some work he needed to finish. He knew that she would wake up when her body and mind was ready to, which could be in a few minutes or in several hours. So he would just work until then.

-x-

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. You know Eric wouldn't have let me leave if I wasn't." Karrie shrugged, leaning slightly into her brother. They were sitting on his bed, her leg propped up on a pillow.

Harry frowned, rolling his eyes at his sister. "You know what I meant." He couldn't believe that she had gotten hurt in the forest, so close to their safe spot. But if there was a monster in the forest, a worse monster than normal, they would have to find another place to go. Especially for Karrie. She needed a place to go where she couldn't feel all the magic. He had not liked the little clearing as much as she had, because he couldn't feel magic there, he couldn't feel the spells and charms he felt now. But Karrie felt magic differently than he did.

She hesitated, biting her lip, trying to block out the amount of magic in Harry's room. She had quickly figured out that there was so much magic in Harry's room because he was always messing with wards and spells, even if he was still learning to feel and see magic better. She couldn't see it but she didn't really need to. "I guess. It's tiring but I can handle it. So how angry was Remus and Severus that you tried a stupid stunt on your broom?" She asked, switching subjects easily. She had not been happy when Teddy had told her what had happened, because Harry could have been seriously hurt. He should have at least tried it on a trampoline first. They needed a trampoline; maybe she could convince Remus and Severus to get one.

He shrugged, picking up one of his comic books. "Severus' said they were 'disappointed'. And I'm grounded." He had actually been very confused, because it hurt more that Severus was disappointed in his behavior and that he had frightened Charlie so badly. Harry wasn't used to adults being disappointed. Angry, sure. But disappointing them was new territory for him and he didn't like how it made him feel.

"What does that even mean?" She wasn't sure an adult had ever been disappointed in her. Maybe Professor Flitwick had been disappointed when she had cursed her housemates, she didn't really know. Angry, upset, unhappy, pissed...those were the emotions she knew from adults, the ones she knew well. And she knew Harry was the same. Disappointment wasn't something she quite grasped just yet.

"No idea. We could ask Michael, he knows everything about emotions."

"Or we could ask Remus." She shrugged, tilting her head slightly. Remus was a lot closer, since he had been coming down the hall and she knew he could probably hear them. After all, if she could feel his magic, he could probably hear them.

He scowled, looking up from his Spider-man comic. "He's an adult."

"Yes." She replied, tilting her head toward the door and putting her finger to her lip. She leaned back, propping herself up with her arms. She was tired.

Remus waited for a moment before knocking on Harry's door. The children always seemed to forget that he had enhanced hearing but he did occasionally catch something of importance. He just usually gave them time to come to him first.

"Come in."

"Why do you always get to say come in? I don't get to say it in my room or yours." Karrie complained, poking her brother in the side as Remus opened the door.

"Cause you never want to say it." Harry retorted, glancing at Remus before sticking his tongue out at Karrie.

"We need to leave for dinner in a few minutes." He remarked, raising an eyebrow at the two for a moment before sighing softly. Karrie hadn't brushed her hair, which had became more of a mess after he had floo'd home with her. He was sure falling in the forest had probably contributed to some of tangles. But he had noticed that recently there were days when she wouldn't brush her hair. This was a child who loved putting her hair in braids and then suddenly, she won't even brush it. He thought he might know part of her reasoning. It would just be easier if she would ask instead of waiting for him to realize what she wanted. "Would you like me to fix your hair, Karrie?" Remus inquired quietly but not unkindly.

She bit her lip to keep from smiling, dropping her eyes to her cast so that she didn't have to look at him. "I guess." She answered finally, keeping her voice emotionless. He didn't have to know that she liked it when he did her hair. She enjoyed the attention and care, even though she knew she was too old for him to keep doing her hair.

He smiled softly, summoning her brush and scanning the nearby desktop for any of her ribbons. He found a dark blue one and moved to sit on the bed beside her. He started to gently run the brush through the tangles, frowning when she flinched at a particularly difficult knot. Remus wasn't quite sure how long it had been since the preteen had brushed her hair. It was a mess.

"Hey Remus?"

"Hm?"

"Why would someone be disappointed in you?" Karrie inquired, grimacing when Harry's elbow found her rib. She glared at him, trying not to move her head too much. Her hair was tangled and the knots hurt.

"Don't elbow your sister." Remus scolded, not stopping his process of untangling Karrie's hair. "Because they care greatly for you and they know you can make better decisions. Severus and I know that both of you can make better decisions than you did today. So yes, we are disappointed in your actions. But we are not disappointed in you. We care deeply about you both and we love both of you. Does that help?" He explained after a moment, finally working the brush through the last of the tangles.

Harry ran his fingers through his own hair, glancing at his sister. He knew Michael's answer wouldn't have made him feel warm inside. Because they cared about them. Adults cared about them. This was new and strange. "Yeah." He shrugged finally, marking his place in the comic by dog-earring the page. Karrie hated it when he did that, which was one of the reasons he did it. It didn't harm the book, so he didn't see what the big deal was.

She glared at Harry, trying not to move her head so that Remus could finish braiding it. Her brother was annoying when he wanted to be. "It does." She responded, even if parts of her were still confused about why they cared so much.

Remus bit back a sigh, knowing that even if they did understand what he was explaining, it didn't mean they would believe it. He remembered being in their place, when he was a teenager, and he hadn't believed his fathers until their actions proved their words. He knew it would take time and until then, all they could really do was love their two children and let their actions speak for them. He finished the braid, tying it with the blue ribbon. "Alright you two, time to head to supper." He remarked quietly, setting the brush down and observing the two raven haired preteens for a moment. His children just needed time to heal. With time and love, eventually they would be okay.  
-x-


	39. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains suicidal thoughts and self harm, moreso than normal, it is in the last section. (There is also a deleted scene to this chapter that's posted separately.)

"Enough." He interjected finally, green eyes locked on the pacing, ranting younger man. Henry had let him rant and rave for nearly half an hour, hoping that eventually Jake would either stop or realize his tactics weren't working. But it was now after midnight and they had rounds to make before either of them could sleep. He was hoping that they could have a quick conversation about what had happened, but Jake was proving Eric right. He had known Jake was testing him, but he had hoped he would stick with his usual attitude and snapping, something that he could handle with a quiet word or a stinging spell. Not this. He hadn't thought the younger man would break one of the few rules he had given him when he took over as his legal cosigner, his guardian.

Jake grumbled under his breath for a moment, glancing at his time piece. "I have rounds to make." He snapped, moving toward the door that lead to the counselors hallway.

"We have rounds to make. I don't see why we can't walk and talk, quietly." Henry replied firmly, standing and moving toward him. He gestured toward the door, raising an eyebrow at the younger man's glare. Didn't Jake realize that sulking made him look so much younger?

He huffed softly, opening the door and strolling down the hall toward the door that lead out into the castle. They always did a quick sweep of the safe rooms near the counselors office and the areas surrounding the camp before going through the camp. He stepped out into the castle and frowned, lighting his wand and turning to look again down the hallway. He thought he had seen movement. But as the counselors on duty, neither of them had felt the bracelets go off, so unless they hadn't been in their room, no one had left the camp. It was an ingenious design of Filius', the bracelets. They were similar to the pendants all of the staff wore, except that the two bracelets were for the camp specifically. If a student left their bunk room, the bracelets went off. If the self-injury ward was triggered, the bracelets went off. Those two bracelets when to whichever two staff members were on-duty that night. Usually counselors were alerted by their pendants if the self injury ward or the nightmare ward were triggered in their particular cabins, but if they didn't respond to the ward or the ward was triggered somewhere else, like the bathrooms, the bracelets went off for the on-duty staff. The bracelets made their jobs just a little bit easier. He hesitated, glancing at Henry before looking back down the hallway again. He finally looked back at the older man and raised in eyebrow, he had a feeling he needed to go check that out and they could do this faster if they went separate directions. He waited until Henry nodded before moving silently toward where he thought he had seen something. Hopefully it wasn't serious.

Henry lit his wand, glancing in both directions before heading toward what was now dubbed the counseling floor. He moved past the offices, causally checking each door. The counselors and healers were pretty good at locking their offices back. When they all seemed clear, he moved on to the hallway with the safe rooms, glancing at each door as he passed. These doors were never locked but they were each charmed to show if there was someone in them.

Jake frowned, finally spotting the boy he thought he had seen. "Daniel." He called softly, sighing when the child flinched and shoved something in his pocket.

Daniel grimaced, biting his lip after shoving the piece of roll with cheese into his pocket. Of course he would get caught sneaking back into the camp. He did relax fractionally when he realized it was Jake and not someone else. "Sorry Jake."

"What are you doing up?" He asked, although he was pretty sure he knew the answer to that. He was going to have to talk to Alexis about getting a refrigerator for the common area. It would keep the teenagers from sneaking out when they were hungry at least.

He hesitated before shrugging. "I was hungry." He answered finally. He knew Jake wouldn't hurt him, even if he did have to squash the feeling that he was doing something wrong.

"You know you can always ask and we can get food brought up. I don't want you going hungry because you are afraid to ask or sneaking out and getting hurt. Alright?" He responded calmly, meeting the teenager's eyes for a long moment before the boy long away.

"Okay, Jake." Daniel removed the food from his pocket slowly. He knew Jake wouldn't take it from him but that didn't make it any easier.

Jake held open the door to the camp, gesturing the teen inside. The fact that Daniel took the food back out of his pocket showed how much the teenager had come to trust him. That gave him a small, warm feeling inside. Because even if it was slow, these teens were healing. "Eat and then bed." He ordered firmly.

Daniel nodded, taking a bite of his make-shift sandwich as he headed back into his cabin. He was tired after all, the only reason he had gone in search of food was because he had been more hungry than tired.

Jake waited a moment before going back into the hallway to catch up with Henry. They would check each of the cabins next, so he could make sure all of his boys were in bed.

-x-

Eric gave a soft groan, leveraging himself out of his armchair and toward Rose's room just before he felt the wards go off. The last few nights Rose had been having horrendous nightmares, ever since she had taken the negative magic out of Alexis. Since they still weren't quite sure what she did or how she could do it, the only thing they could do was wake her up and comfort her. She always refused to talk about the nightmares, and they both knew that she was bound to have some anyway, he could only wonder if they were worse because of the creature's magic. He entered her room quietly, eyes falling on the thrashing child. "Rose." He called softly, letting his magic reach out to her. The thrashing stopped and the girl gave off a soft moan. "It's okay Rose. You are safe. You are at Hogwarts." It did help that their magic was connected, because he could use the feel of his magic to calm her.

She groaned, slowly blinking open her eyes and turning her head toward where she was pretty sure Eric was. "Sorry." She whispered, trying to shove that dream down, tried to force the fear away. It had been an odd one, as well. It hadn't felt like her own.

He bit back a sigh, shaking his head. "You have nothing to apologize for. Everyone has bad dreams. Do you want to talk about it?" He responded quietly, gently brush the hair away from her face.

Rose hesitated, sitting up slowly and pulling her legs toward her. "I..I do but I don't understand it." She answered finally, shaking her head to try to clear it.

He very slowly sat down on the side of her bed, causing her to move her legs a little more. She had never wanted to talk about it before, so this was progress, at least. "It's alright if it doesn't seem to make sense. Talking it out may help." He responded, moving his arm slightly when she leaned into him, before carefully putting it around her shoulders. She still flinched before pressing into his side.

"It was...weird. I was in a field, running. Happy. And then suddenly I wasn't. There was this dark room and a mattress on the floor, where she sleeps. I could hear them, I could hear what they were saying, what they were doing but I couldn't see them. One of them was hurting her and then she screamed and you woke me up." She grimaced, shaking her head. It had felt so real and she had felt so scared, but it wasn't something that had happened to her. Not like that. Her nightmares were usually pieces of her past, but that wasn't. That dream wasn't hers.

Eric blinked, catching the switch of pronouns. "She?" He inquired finally, letting the tiniest bit of his calming magic flow into her. He could feel how scared and confused she was, after all. This magical connection had its good and bad sides, feeling each other's emotions was often both.

Rose bit her lip, running a hand through her hair for a moment before sighing softly. "You're going to think I'm crazy."

"Try me."

"I don't think...I mean, it wasn't...It's not my dream. The first part maybe, but the bad stuff? That's not mine. It wasn't me on that bed. It was...I think it was Karrie. " She answered finally, eyes focused on her bedspread. She didn't want to see the look on his face, if he really thought she might be crazy.

The dark-skinned healer did sigh then. He had a feeling he knew exactly what had caused this nightmare, or rather memory, if he was correct in his thinking. He had started researching through all the books they had and had wrote some friends, the moment they had noticed that Rose's use of magic was very...unusual. It had taken a few days, but a friend from South America had sent back an owl with a very old tribal manuscript and a letter. Rose had the same magical ability as several early shaman-healers. Her ability to cleanse magic was still unusual, it was a magical talent that she had, but the book would help them understand her abilities and help her control them. From a brief glance through the book, he knew there was one shaman who said that sometimes memories attached themselves to negative energy and magic, by drawing it from a person, he pulled it into himself. "Did you, by any chance, take magic from Karrie recently?" He asked finally, closing his eyes when she nodded. They had just talked about this recently, after she had helped Alexis. And here she was, still doing it.

"This morning. All the magic around her...it hurts her, so I bleed it off. Just like I do for Emma." She replied before groaning. She hadn't meant to tell him that.

"Rose." He admonished, shaking his head. What was he going to do with this child? "You are not crazy. When you took magic from Karrie, a memory must have attached itself to the energy. That's a consequence of taking other's magic. Drawing magic from Karrie or Emma, or anyone, can have consequences, particularly when you do not have control of your abilities. " He had been wondering why Emma's magic wasn't spilling over as much anymore, so that was the answer to that. But what did she mean that magic hurts Karrie? He still needed to look into the young teen's magic, but right now, the teenager curling into his side needed his attention.

"So, does that mean she doesn't have the memory anymore?" She questioned, frowning slightly. It made sense that it was a memory of Karrie's, actually. If she could take bad memories from them with the magic, that might be worth the nightmares she had. But that did make her wonder if her other odd dream, a few days before, was a memory.

"Unfortunately, no. She will still have that memory. What came with the magic was a copy or echo of the memory." Eric replied, raising an eyebrow at the girl. "So no, you should not try doing that as a way to purge your friends of bad memories. The cost is not worth it and they will still have the memories in the end." What he wouldn't tell her was that that memory was probably forefront in Karrie's mind now, because it had been drawn forward with the magic. Which meant that it was probably in Karrie's nightmares tonight.

She leaned into the dark-skinned healer's side for a few minutes more before yawning softly. "Okay, Eric." She answered, shrugging slightly. It didn't mean she couldn't experiment, but for now she was tired and she thought she felt safe enough to try to sleep again.

"Lay down, mon petit." He encouraged quietly, standing slowly. He waited until she had laid back, before pulling the cover back over her and picking up the stuffed elephant that had managed to find the floor. "Dors mon petit."

She fought fluttering eyelids, trying to stay awake just for a moment. "Petit?" If she was going to be his apprentice, she thought she might have to learn French.

"My child." He smiled softly as she drifted off to sleep. She looked so much younger with her elephant securely in her arms. He waited a few minutes, to make sure she was truly asleep, before leaving quietly. He had rounds to make after all.

-x-

Harry groaned, opening his eyes slowly. Karrie was having a bad dream, again. He turned his head to see his sister, reaching out to touch her wrist. "Just a dream Karrie." He muttered, frowning when she didn't wake. They could always easily wake each other up, so the fact that she wasn't waking up was odd.

Remus sat up, glancing at his husband when the younger man groaned. The ward was going off in Harry's room, but that honestly didn't mean it was Harry having a nightmare. The two preteens tended to sleep in the same room more and more. "I got it." He murmured, summoning his robe and leveraging himself out of bed.

"No, please. No! NO!"

"Karrie, wake up! It's a dream." Harry paled, seeing the magic dance on his sister's skin. He knew her scream would have woken up Remus and Severus, which might not be a bad thing. He hesitated before touching her wrist again. "Come on Karrie, you're scaring me."

Remus didn't bother knocking, quickly entering Harry's room. From her scream, he could guess what nightmares were terrorizing her tonight. He didn't touch her, knowing that she might lash out without meaning to. "Karrie, you are at Hogwarts, in our quarters. You are safe. No one can hurt you here." He stated firmly, knowing that she could hear him. He hoped that he could ground her in the present enough to draw her out of the past. "You are safe, Karrie. It is just a dream."

She whimpered, trying to find a way out. She could hear Remus and Harry but she couldn't follow their voices, not tonight. All she could see was the dark, the four walls surrounding her, the shadows. "NO!" She screamed, shrieking as the pain filled her.

Remus sighed softly, forming a shield around her to keep the accidental magic from lashing out at Harry. "Harry, go to Papa please." He instructed softly, raising an eyebrow when the boy shook his head. "I know you want to help her, but right now I need you to listen to me. Alright?"

But he could reach her! She was his twin in all but blood and their magic responded to each other. She was always able to calm him, so he should be able to calm her. Granted, the swirl of magic surrounding her was intimating but she was his sister! "But-"

"Harry." Severus called softly, leaning against the doorway. He had moved as soon as he heard that shriek. Shrieks filled with that much raw emotion were never good and he would rather Harry not be in danger, since Karrie's magic would lash out. He beckoned to the preteen, catching Remus' eye. He knew the older man would call him if he needed help.

Green eyes darted between the two men and his sister. He was torn. He wanted to help Karrie, she was his sister. But he was also tired and he wanted to trust his guardians that they could help her, that they would take care of both of them. He hesitated, taking a step toward Severus before glancing back toward the bed.

"I'll protect her, Harry. Go to Papa." Remus stated firmly to the messy-haired child, addressing his unspoken fear. Sometimes the child's face was an open book.

Severus rested a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder when he finally came to him, leading him out of the room and down the hallway toward his and Remus' bedroom. Hopefully he could convince the child to go back to sleep.

He sat down on Harry's side of the bed, moving so that he was next to her. "Listen to my voice Karrie. It is just a dream, just a memory. It can't hurt you anymore. You are safe." He kept the shield up, her magic was still lashing out. It was trying to protect her from unseen abusers.

She whimpered again, curling up to protect her head and stomach. Karrie tried to force the fear down, tried to think. It was just a dream. Just a dream, right? She curled up tighter, feeling the shadows looming over her. "Please don't. Please."

"Karrie. You are not there. You are not in that room. You are in Harry's bed at Hogwart's. You are safe, sweetheart. Safe. I will not let anyone hurt you." He hated that he couldn't protect her from the demons in her mind. From the monsters who had hurt his child. He hesitated for a moment before slowly placing his hand over hers. "I'm right here, sweetheart. You are safe."

There had to be a way out, a way to wake up. She forced her mind to calm down, forced the terror away, before scanning the dark room carefully. Rooms had doors, right? She just had to find a door. She stumbled forward, forcing herself to not look at the bed, to not look at what was happening. There. There was a door.

Remus squeezed the preteens hand gently when she started to stir. "That's it. It's okay Karrie. You are safe." He repeated softly, dropping the shield that had kept her magic from lashing out.. Her magic seemed much calmer now, at least.

She groaned, opening green eyes. "Dad." She mumbled, trying to fight the last of the dream off, wanting one of the two people who can make it better, make her feel less terrified.

He moved slowly, keeping his movements very obvious, helping the preteen sit up and wrapping an arm around her. "You are safe Karrie." She had called him dad. Neither preteen had used those familial words for either of them before.

She rubbed her eyes, brushing the sleep and tears away. She hesitated, fighting down the fear of the dream for a moment before lunging into Remus' arms She felt those arms tighten around her, even as he shifted her so that she was sitting more comfortably on his lap. No one had ever held her like this before, no one had ever loved her like these two men did. Two men who she knew would never harm her like that, like the monsters in her memories did. Karrie bit down hard on her lip, trying to keep the tears locked in. She wasn't a baby after all.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head, burying her face into his robe. If she talked about it, she would cry.

"Okay. It's okay, Karrie." He responded gently, rubbing her back. He could smell the tears she was trying so hard to hide. Honestly, he was pretty sure he knew exactly what she was dreaming about, it wouldn't be the first time that she had one of those dreams. It was hard to get her to talk about her dreams, particularly the dreams that were actual memories, but they had been able to get enough from her over the last few weeks to put the pieces together.

Karrie took a breath and finally stopped fighting the tears, clutching his robe with one hand. She felt his hold on her tighten and relaxed slightly. Because he had her, Remus had her. The two men who had invited them into their home, into their lives, would protect her and Harry. She was safe here, which is why she gave in to the tears. Because Remus wouldn't see them as weak. And crying, after all, sometimes made her feel just a little bit better.

-x-

Henry fought back a chuckle, eyeing the young man who was sprawled on his stomach, asleep on top of his bed. He twitched his wand, gently moving the blanket out from under the young man. He carefully covered Jake with a blanket, watching the younger man sleep for a moment. He glanced at his own bed, before sighing softly. All the children were in bed and asleep, as were the younger counselors, as he had glanced in on all the cabins and the connected counselor rooms. And he really, really needed to go for a walk. He very quietly moved out of their room, down the counselor hallway and into the castle. He almost always got lost in the castle but tonight he knew exactly where he needed to go.

-x-

Eric frowned, glancing toward his office door at the slight knock before looking at the timepiece. He had gotten Rose back to sleep and he had made his rounds. It was nearly two in the morning and he had been about to lie down on the make-shift bed that was his office couch. He really needed to hire another healer for the medical wing. "Come." He called finally. It wasn't a student, at least, so it had to be a counselor.

Henry hesitated before opening the door and stepping inside the head healer's office. "Eric."

"You look like shit."

He snorted, shaking his head. It was late, after all. "Thanks." He surveyed the older healer and debated if perhaps he should just go. Eric needed sleep, which was hard enough to get on-call as it was.

The dark skinned healer frowned, tilting his head slightly before standing. "Walk with me." He stated briskly, moving out of his office and toward the door of the medical wing. He didn't wait for Henry, knowing that the younger healer would obey him.

Henry sighed softly, following the man out into the corridor and down the hall. He raised an eyebrow when Eric stopped at a patch of bare wall.

He placed his hand on the wall for a moment, before stepping back. He waited a moment for the door to appear before opening it and gesturing Henry through. It was one of the first places Alexis had shown him, the outdoor terrace herbal garden, just outside the medical wing. It was a good place for healers to talk, relax, and calm down. He had a feeling Henry needed to do all of those things. He sat down in his favourite patio chair, eyes gazing out over the railing to study the grounds. It was even more beautiful at night. He waited for the other man to sit, before sighing softly. "Want to talk about it?" He questioned quietly, eyes focusing on the grounds.

He hesitated, eyes scanning the landscape for a moment. "I...I don't know, Eric. I had a talk with Jake and all I feel now is anger."

"I'm going to assume that it's not Jake that you are angry at. " He commented softly, glancing toward the younger man.

"Of course not, now that the fear is gone. I disciplined him and his reactions...I want to hurt them, Eric. Badly. Leave them with their worse nightmares dancing through their heads and make them feel the pain they caused him, all of it." He responded finally, keeping his eyes locked on the lake he could just barely see. He didn't want to see Eric's reaction to that, even if he thought the older man would understand, at least. Because he did want to hunt Jake's father and former Master down and make them suffer, badly. So much so that he considered going there instead of coming here.

He gave a soft sigh, turning to fully see the other healer. Henry was amazing at what he did, he had been working with him for a while now, so he knew that Henry had iron control on his actions and emotions. Which was why the younger man had ended up with him, instead of hunting someone down. "I wanted to do the same to both Remus' and Alexis' 'parents' and caretakers. The first time I disciplined either of them was just as hard for me as it was for them. It's alright to feel anger, rage. Hearing their stories is so much easier than seeing that fear in their eyes, as watching them fall into flight-or-fight. Knowing what happened to them is different than experiencing the after-effects of it." He respond quietly, shaking his head slightly.

Henry was a mindhealer and what he was saying was what masters usually told their apprentices, when they first started healing. Hell, it was what he had told several of the younger counselors. That it was okay to be angry, when they were alone. That it was okay to be upset, disturbed, angry, or whatever they happened to feel about what had happened to the students, when the students weren't around. He knew this, he knew it was perfectly acceptable to be angry about the treatment of the teenagers at the camp. And he had been, but he had pushed it down, kept it under lock, so that he could do his job. He couldn't push this back, no matter how hard he tried. The rage he felt on Jake's behalf was strong and almost frightening. "I know this, Eric."

"When Alexis came to us, she had constant night terrors, she couldn't stand to be touched, she was just generally terrified. Of us, of her situation, of the only life she had ever known. One night she was helping me clean up after supper, Tim was working late. She went to put a glass up and she dropped it. When I turned around to make sure she was okay, she bolted straight through the shards of glass. She didn't even have shoes on. It took an hour for me to calm her down enough so that she would let me look at her feet. It took me another hour to assure her that it was an accident and she wasn't in trouble. Once I managed to get her into bed, I downed a bottle of scotch. It took a bottle of scotch for me to briefly shove down the sheer terror in her eyes, the blood on her feet, the fact she thought she would be beaten for an accident. The anger came back once the alcohol wore off. I wanted to do serious harm to the person who hurt her. But what good would that do? No good could come from harming their abusers." He remarked, eyes tracing the stars for a moment before turning back to focus on Henry.

"They wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else." Henry grimaced, turning his eyes back to looking out over the grounds. He had seen that look on Eric's face, after all. It had been a long time since he had spoken without thinking, spoken in anger. He was so good at controlling his emotions, of locking down his true feelings until he was alone. He wasn't used to not being able to lock down this type of anger.

"Do we really need to have that conversation?" He had actually had to have that conversation with several younger healers, about why they didn't give into the rage that made them want to track down abusers, of what those consequences really were, in terms of both their career and personal lives. He had even had to have that conversation with Tim a few times. He knew that Henry was not one he would have to have that conversation with. For Henry to be able to do what he did, he would have already had that conversation, years ago when he was training. The younger healer had iron control over himself and his impulses. He wasn't about to go hunting for demons.

"Of course not, Eric. I'm just...I could really use a glass of whiskey." He responded quickly, shaking his head. He knew Eric understood what he had meant, where he was coming from.

The dark-skinned healer chuckled, shaking his head. "No good would come from that. You would still feel the rage eventually. Just with a throbbing headache. I had the pleasure of also having a very unhappy husband."

That was right, Eric used to have an alcohol problem when he was much younger. It hadn't occurred to him when the other man had told that story. He had known the older man for nearly fifteen years, they had started working together when he was in his mid-twenties. Eric had been the head healer of a children's ward and had employed him. They had worked late one night, he had caught suicidal behaviour in a teenager before it had happened and the two of them had spend several hours with that teenager, talking him down. Afterwards, when they both had calmed down, he had suggested getting drinks. Eric had refused and explained. He didn't talk about it often, but he didn't really hide it either. " I know that. I'm just not used to this. I'm always so careful to keep my emotions out of it, to keep what I feel inside and private. But this...this rage, I can't seem to lock it down."

He wasn't surprised that the younger healer couldn't quite figure it out. Henry's only apprentice had come from a good, wealthy home and he had always been able to hold his patients at a distance. He had to,healers who did what Henry did, the very few there were, didn't survive this long without being able to lock down those emotions, to distance their personal lives from their patients. "That's because this is more personal. You care for Jake, you've gotten to know the different sides to that young man. Feeling anger and outrage at what he went through is perfectly normal. Allow yourself to feel that rage and it will be much easier to control."

He sighed, shaking his head. It wasn't that easy for him. Before his healer had quit, he had someone to talk to, someone he could feel around. But that mind-healer, like all the other mind-healers he had tried, couldn't handle it for very long. He couldn't just allow himself to feel rage for Jake, because if he stopped his control to feel that one emotion, the other emotions would slam him. Eric would understand that if he told him but he really didn't have the extra time or energy to try and find another healer right now.

"You stopped seeing your healer, didn't you?"

"It wasn't my choice." He frowned, glancing at the older healer. He was the one who was suppose to be able to read body language for clues. He knew that Eric had years on him, however, and had worked with him long enough to be able to read him.

That made more sense then. He would have to find another healer for the younger man, sooner rather than later. Henry was very good at locking emotions down, but if he never let them out, never talked about what he felt, he would have a break down. Very few healers could do what Henry did and they could only do so with a strong support system behind them, which Henry usually had. "Until we can find you another healer, you will come talk to me."

"Eric-"

"It's not a suggestion, Henry.

He scowled for a moment, shaking his head. "You have too much to do as it is. You are down a healer, Eric. You are stretched too thin. I couldn't do that to you." He really couldn't. Eric had too much on his plate at the moment. It would just be easier if he waited until school started back, when there would be more adults around to keep an eye on things, to find another mind-healer. He didn't have the time, right now.

"Alright." The dark skinned healer smirked when the younger healer looked at him. Henry wasn't expecting him to give in that easy. He wasn't giving in. Henry would talk to him or another healer regularly. Unlike with Alexis, Henry didn't have a choice. Always forcing emotions down, always watching people, observing their behaviours...healers like Henry didn't last long without having someone to talk to, someone to tell all the secrets and fears they had seen to. The younger man would either break down entirely or go insane if he kept everything locked inside of him. And Henry knew that. That's why the guild required healers in Henry's profession, the handful of them that there were, to have a mindhealer that they saw regularly. "You don't have to talk to me. There are three other healers at Hogwarts who should be able to handle it."

Of the several mind-healers, counselors, and healers at Hogwarts, he could still instantly figure out who Eric meant. "No. Paul has been sober for over a year, I won't drive him back to drinking. Alexis has way too much to handle as it is and it would mess with our work. Tim has his hands full as well. I won't burden any of them with that." He replied quietly, turning his eyes back to the stars. He would wait, that was all there was to it. Surely he could wait the three weeks until school started back.

"Then that settles it, you will talk to me."

"I can just wait, Eric. It's only a couple of weeks."

He kept his eyes on the younger healer, shaking his head slightly. That told him more than it didn't. It did make him wonder how long the other man had been without a healer. "How long has is been since you released your iron control?"

"Eric.."

"How long, Henry?"

He closed his eyes, sighing softly. He hadn't wanted to get into this. He had just wanted to talk to Eric about Jake, because he knew Eric would understand, Eric could help. "Since the end of May." He answered finally, knowing the if he didn't answer, Eric would just keep pushing.

"So we do need to talk. You can't wait much longer, Henry. If the Guild found out...And even if they didn't, your mind needs that release of emotions. You know this. I know things are a bit hectic here, right now, but you need to talk about it." Eric responded softly, raising an eyebrow when the other healer snorted.

"How did this go from Jake to me needing a healer?" He shook his head, turning his eyes to meet dark ones. "Alright. I will talk to you. But can we do it tomorrow? I'm tired, you're tired, and we both need sleep before the children wake." He answered finally. He knew he needed someone to talk to. He even knew that it made him better at his job, especially when he had someone he could discuss the things he was noticing with, which was one of the reasons he went through the list of at-risk students with Alexis each week. Eric would be easy to talk to and an extra set of eyes and ears to discuss students with.

"Two o'clock, then?"

"That works for me."

-x-

It was just past seven, the other boys were grumbling and slowly getting dressed, so he had slipped easily from the room. No one noticed. They never did. That was a perk of being a bully, the other boys his age paid him little attention. Which meant he could easily go see his cousin. They did this almost every morning, meeting up in the lounge for a quiet moment before their groups separated them again. Derek paused as his neared one of the couches, easily spotting the blond hair that matched his. "Ari?" He called softly, grimacing when the girl jumped.

She flinched, not looking at the younger teenager. She kept her arms around her knees, her head against them. If she looked at Derek, he would know that she hadn't slept, again. He would know something was wrong. When they had realized they were both there for the summer, she had known that it would be easier to pretend like they didn't know each other, even if Lila had taken a bit to convince. Their fathers were brothers and while the two men were very different in their methods of abuse, they were both still abusive. "I'm fine. How did you sleep?" She questioned, still not bothering to look up.

"Liar, Liar, pants on fire."

"Don't be juvenile, Derek."

Derek frowned, tilting his head slightly. She rarely ever called him Derek, she knew how much he hated that name. So either she wasn't thinking or Ariana was about to have a break down. He opened his mouth to question her but stopped when Lila came skipping into the room with her headphones in place. He knelt, hugging the little girl when she came bouncing to him. The other boys always teased him about being soft for Lila, but he had argued that everyone was soft for the silent ten year old.

-Der- She grinned, leaning into the hug before moving toward her sister with a frown. -Aria?- She poked her sister, grimacing when the older girl pulled away. -Aria? Der?- She turned back to the boy, signing quickly.

He sighed softly, shaking his head. -I'll look after her. No sleep- He signed back, hating the fear in the little girl's eyes. "Go to your counselors, Lila. " He ordered softly, gently squeezing the younger girl's shoulder as he moved past her to sit beside Ariana. He honestly didn't care if the others realized they were related, they had decided to hide it to protect Lila. "Do you want to talk about it?"

The blue-eyed girl grimaced, watching her sister's retreating back. The others would be leaving the bunks soon. She didn't have time for this. "I'm fine, Derek."

"Since when do you call me that?"

She blinked, shaking her head. "I'm sorry Der. I'm wasn't thinking. I'm fine."

Why was she lying to him? She always got mad when he lied to her and she usually didn't lie to him. They were honest with each other, because who else knew them as well as the other. She always fussed at him for trying to be his father and he always fussed at her for trying to ignore the demons that haunted her. They took care of each other, because before this summer, no one else ever had. "Ari, please."

"Leave me alone!"

"Ariana." He reached out to touch her arm, freezing when she violently jerked away. He hated it but he was glad when one of the counselors poked their head into the room. He didn't even care who it was, because something was wrong.

"Leave me the fuck alone! Take care of her and leave ME ALONE!" She screamed, losing what control she had left. She hadn't slept in three days, her mind was a wreck and she was done. She couldn't do this anymore. She jumped up, determined to get away from him, and the counselors now staring at her, before he figured out what she meant.

He stood slowly, not looking at the older teens streaming into the room from their bunks. They probably thought he was being mean to her, but he really didn't care. "No." He responded softly, catching her wrist when she went to move around him. "No, Ari. You have to stop hiding."

"Derek Joseph, if you do not let go of me.."She hissed, letting her anger drop into her tone. She wasn't angry at him and she hoped he knew that. But she was using her 'older cousin' voice, because he always obeyed that. Until now.

"Ariana Elizabeth, you don't get to boss me around anymore." He snarled back. He knew she could break out of his hold if she wanted to, he wasn't holding her wrist with very much strength at all.

"Yes I fucking do. LET. GO. NOW!" She snapped. He had no right to use her middle name. Not here. "Do as I say Der." She added, a bit quieter. He just had to let her go, leave her alone so she could suffer in peace.

"Derek." Jake called quietly, catching the boy's eyes when he glanced toward him. "Let her go, it's okay. You can let her go now." He beckoned to the younger teenager, casting his eyes quickly toward Mary and Henry. Both of them had moved slowly toward the two, with Henry moving more to block the doorway. Charlie and Kate had both quickly moved their respective groups back into their room and raised the wards on the entry ways. Rani and Phil were working on getting all of the older teens safely out of harms way. He had already informed Alexis, so she was on her way. They had a plan in place if something liked this happened and so far, it was effectively working.

He hesitated, eyes going from Jake to the few counselors left in the room. When he realized that the door was blocked and they were closer than he thought, he let go, stepping back quickly when she darted toward the door. He moved toward Jake quickly, hesitantly glancing at the older man.

Ariana growled, realizing that in her argument with Derek, the counselors had her loosely surrounded. She could escape, she just had to figure out which doorway would be her quickest out.

"You did good, Derek. I'm proud of you. Go back in the bunks, okay? We will make sure she stays safe." Jake murmured, gently squeezing the boy's shoulder before directing him toward his cabin. All of the staff had been made aware that Ariana, Derek, and Lila were cousins, so none of them were surprised to catch a quiet moment between the three. Nor was he surprised that Derek would catch when something wasn't quite right with Ariana. He was just surprised Henry hadn't caught it first. He waited a minute, waiting until the last student was in the bunks and the wards were raised before nodding to Mary.

"What's going on, Ariana?" Mary inquired quietly, following the girl's movements but keeping her distance, for now. If the teenager thought she was getting out, she was wrong. Not only were all the bunk doors closed, but the wards wouldn't let anyone in or out who didn't have a pendant. Every exit was warded. The teenager wasn't going anywhere until they figured out what was wrong.

"Nothing is going on! I'm fine!" She snarled, eyes darting from door to door. But there were five counselors and they were blocking almost every door. Except for the bathrooms. She could go from the bathroom to any of the bunks, including the counselors, and she knew from eavesdropping, that there was an exit door to the castle somewhere around their rooms. She needed out, now. She had to get out of here, get out of her head. She couldn't do this any longer.

"Clearly you're not. Something made your cousin worried about you." Mary replied calmly. She stopped moving, eyes locked on the blond. "I know you are upset, Ariana. We just want to make sure you are safe."

"I'M FINE!" She screeched, making up her mind and darting into the bathroom. She fled pass the sinks, around the cubicles of toilets, and past the showers. She grabbed the handle to her cabin and hissed, dropping her hand back down quickly. It had shocked her.

"What happens when she realizes she can't get out?"

"She'll hurt herself. She's planning to anyway, but when she realizes she's trapped, she will injure herself. She won't wait until she can get to where ever she is trying to escape to." Henry remarked quietly, shaking his head. The girl was escalating quickly. He had known for a few days that she was having problems, that there were signs that she could become suicidal with the right push, but it had been far off then. Today, however, he was almost sure she was suicidal. He just wasn't sure what had caused that drastic change. Perhaps the lack of sleep, as he had spotted the dark circles under her eyes.

She tried all the doors, fighting back a scream. She needed out. She needed to get away. She couldn't think, couldn't feel. Couldn't breath. She stopped suddenly, spotting someone's razor. One of the other girls must have shaved their legs this morning and forgotten about it. She grabbed it, cracking the plastic with a jab of her wand and removing the blade strip. She hissed when it bit into her finger, letting the wave of pain wash over her. She didn't hesitated, slashing it down her arm. It might not do as much damage as she wanted but it still allowed her to feel.

Jake sighed softly as the ward flared in his head. From Mary's look, he knew she had felt it too. There were some days when he really wished Henry wasn't so good at what he did. "Which she just did. " He stated, catching Henry's eyes. While they were all trained to handle this, Henry was the most experienced and was an expert in this.

He nodded, turning toward Mary. "Mary, let's see if you and I can at least get her out of the bathroom." Henry suggested, moving toward the girl's bathroom. While they had the girl in the bathroom, the other counselors could get the rest of the children, one bunk at a time, out of the camp and headed toward breakfast. He stopped just inside the bathroom door, listening for a moment before placing a gentle hand on Mary's shoulder. "She doesn't trust me, but she trusts you. You take the lead on this." He murmured calmly, he could almost feel her nerves. He would observe Ariana's behavior and body language, which would give them some clues, at least.

She hesitated for a moment before slowly moving toward the noise she could hear. She sighed softly, eyes landing quickly on the teenage girl who has blood running down her arm, even as she kept slashing at it. "I know you are hurting Ariana, but you don't need to hurt yourself. Can you put that down for me?" She inquired calmly, making sure her hands were visible.

"I'M FINE!" She screeched, glaring at the two counselors. She was cornered. Except...she wasn't. They had both moved so that she wasn't blocked in, she wasn't trapped. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" "We can't do that, Ariana. But we can sit down over here, if that's alright."

Mary respond, jerking her head toward the bench on one wall. She waited until the teen nodded before moving to sit down on that bench. She didn't have to look to know that Henry had done the same. "Can you tell me why you are harming yourself?" She requested, keeping her voice calm and gentle. As much as every fiber of her wanted to just take the blade from the girl, she knew that wouldn't help.

She halted her movement briefly, eyes glancing downward at the mess that was quickly becoming her left arm. "No." She answered finally, tightening her grip on the shitty makeshift blade. "Please just leave me alone."

"I can't, Ariana. You are harming yourself, so I can't leave you alone. " Mary was happy, at least, that the girl was just holding the blade for the moment. It was extremely hard to watch one of her teenagers harm herself.

"Why?"

The question sounded so innocence, so child-like that she had to fight the urge to chuckle. "Healer's Oath." she replied, giving the tiniest of smiles when the girl scowled. The teenagers hated that answer, because they couldn't really argue with it. "Can you put the blade down, Ariana?"

She bit her lip, closing her eyes for a brief second. She could but she didn't really want to. She didn't know what she wanted. She just couldn't do this anymore, she couldn't fight anymore. "I'm fine." "You keep saying that, but it doesn't really seem like it. " At least the teenager was no longer screaming it at them.

She was so tired. Tired of fighting, tired of feeling, of not feeling, of everything. Very few things truly mattered to her anymore. She had always worried about what would happen to Lila, but she was at Hogwarts now and Derek would take care of her. She couldn't...she really couldn't do this anymore. Her grip on the blade slipped but she didn't move to pick it up when it clattered to the floor. "I can't...I can't."

"What is it that you can't do?" She inquired gently, leaning forward slightly. She wasn't sure but she had a feeling she could guess.

She shook her head, scuffing her foot on the ground, eyes trained on her left arm. It really was a mess of shallow cuts. If she told them, they would stop her. If she told them, they'd lock her up. Then not being with Lila and Derek would no longer be her choice. She didn't want to hurt the two, but she just couldn't handle this anymore. It would be easier if it wasn't her choice, easier on them anyway.

"I know things seem pretty bleak right now Ariana. I know it even feels a little bit hopeless, but these feelings? They don't last. Eventually they get better, but it takes time and work, hard work. Giving up may feel like your only option, but it's not." Henry remarked quietly, drawing the girl's eyes to him for the first time since he had sat beside Mary.

"It is. It's the only option, the best option." She grimaced, rubbing her hand against her arm. The pain felt good but the stickiness was starting to get to her. It made her feel dirty, a physical type of dirty, and she didn't like that. She hated feeling dirty, even though she always felt dirty. She hated it.

"Do you really believe that, Ariana?" She asked calmly, tilting her head at the girl's darting eyes..If Ariana decided to run out of the bathroom, back into the camp, they wouldn't stop her. It wasn't like she could get out of the lounge either and there was a counselor in there still, just in case she took that route.. If she tried any of the doors, the girl would find that they were locked and the knobs would shock her. But the girl's eyes kept darting to the showers and she wasn't quite sure what the child had planned. Was the teenager planning on harming herself further?

She didn't know what she believed anymore. But she was tired and upset and sticky. With that thought, the blond bolted into the nearest shower stall, letting the door slam shut behind her.

Henry placed a gentle hand on Mary's shoulder, keeping her sitting on the bench. "Easy Mary." He whispered, turning his eyes back to the stall. He had noted Ariana's repeated glances at her arm, after all, and she had left the razor where it had fallen. While the girl had her wand still, he didn't think she was going to harm herself at the moment. "Ariana? Could you leave the door open please? We need to make sure you are not harming yourself. We will stay right here and not move, but only if we can see you. Okay?"

Was he trying to bargain with her? They'd let her do what she wanted, as long as they could see her? Fine, they were both healers anyway and she didn't have the energy to even undress to do this. She pushed the door back open, glancing at the two to make sure they weren't closer, before moving back into the shower. She turned the handle, fighting the urge to close her eyes as water poured over her. She wished, for a moment, that the water could wash everything away, could make this easier Could make her forget. The warm water was quickly washing the blood off of her and somehow, it made her feel just a little bit calmer.

The young woman standing under a shower on full blast, fully clothed, with blood running down her arm and her wet hair covering her face looked so young and in so much pain that she had to fight her resolve. As much as she wanted to go to the teenager and just hug her, Mary knew moving right now would break the little trust they were trying to establish. She knew what Henry was trying to do, after all. "I know you don't want to talk about it Ariana. And that's okay, we don't have to talk about it right now. I know talking about it makes it feel more real, harder to deal with. So we won't talk about it until you are ready. Would it be alright if I conjure a towel for you?"

She leaned into the wall, letting the water cascade down her. But as much as she wanted to, she couldn't stay in the shower forever. For one thing, the water would soon get cold. With her clothes soaked, she knew she would get cold quickly if she turned the water off. But her skin no longer felt sticky, the water had washed it all away. Even the tears she was trying so hard to fight. "Yes."She answered finally, reaching behind her to turn the water off before stepping out from under the shower head. She took a few steps out of the cubicle, still keeping her distance from them. She hesitated, spotting the large, fluffy towel Mary had conjured. She didn't want to move to them but she didn't want them moving toward her either. She didn't know what she wanted anymore. She took a careful step forward, grabbing the towel when the older woman held it out toward her. She quickly backed up, wrapping the warm and fluffy towel around herself.

"Did the water help?" She asked quietly, hoping that the warming spell she put on the towel would dry the girl's clothes or at least keep her warm enough that she wouldn't get sick.

She shrugged, pulling the towel tighter around herself. It had helped a little. She didn't feel sticky anymore and it had calmed her a bit. She was tired still and she knew she couldn't do this anymore, couldn't keep fighting. She was out of options, really. But to take herself away from her sister and cousin like that...it was hard. So hard and she wasn't so sure that they would understand, especially Lila. But what choice did she have left? She couldn't do this, she couldn't. And she didn't want to be locked away if she failed. So it was the only choice. Right? But Henry had said there were other choices, other options. She'd have to fight though and she just wasn't sure she could fight any longer.

He could see the conflict in her eyes, mixed in with the pain. It was time to discuss her options, to give her a chance to think rationally. "There are a few options for you right now, Ariana. You can choose to do as you are planning, of course. You can also talk about what you are feeling and thinking, to me, Mary, or to one of the other counselors. You can choose to go to the infirmary for a few days, just so that we can make sure you are safe, to get some rest. You can talk to your cousin and sister. You have many choices, Ariana. You don't have to make such a permanent one." Not that she would have a chance to try that option. Whatever the child picked she would be under surveillance for a while, especially since they knew she was suicidal.

The thought of sleeping was terrifying. But in the infirmary, with Eric or Poppy nearby, would be safer than sleeping in her cabin. And she was so tired, so very tired. She knew sleep wouldn't make it go away, wouldn't make everything better. But she could think clearer if she wasn't so tired, she didn't any know what she wanted anymore. She just knew she couldn't do it any longer, not the way she had been. Lila and Derek needed her still, just like she needed them. She couldn't do this to them, not to Lila and not to Derek. Not now. Not like this. "I.." She hesitated, eyes focused on the tiles beneath her feet. "I'm...I'm so tired."She whispered finally, finally giving in to the tears.

"It's okay, Ariana. It's okay. I know you are tired. You haven't slept in a while, have you?" Mary responded, shifting forward slightly. As much as she had tried, the teenager had spend quite a few nights that summer just lying awake in bed, refusing to sleep. She could so rarely get the girl to take a potion to help and she knew the teen pretended to sleep sometimes, when she checked on the girls.

"I don't want to be locked up."

He frowned, sharing a glance with Mary. Why on earth did the child think she would be locked up? Sure, she would be on suicide watch but he wasn't quite sure if that was what she meant. "What do you mean, Ariana?"

She grimaced, glancing at him briefly before locking away. "Der's mom. His dad had her locked away because she was crazy and he couldn't see her again. I don't want to be locked up." She explained after a moment, knowing her cousin would forgive her for sharing that secret of his. He hadn't seen his mother in over six years. That's why both of them had hid what had happened at home for so long, because they didn't want to be labeled as crazy too.

Henry closed his eyes for a moment, forcing his mind to calm down. Because that wasn't what had happened to Derek's mom. Eric had started inquires about her when Derek had mentioned, briefly to him, that his mother was crazy, so he must be too. The woman wasn't crazy and Eric's connections were slowly tracking her down, if for nothing else than to tell Derek that she was okay. "You aren't going to be locked away, Ariana. Restricted to the infirmary for a few days, perhaps, but not locked away. And you'd still be able to roam throughout the infirmary. And that would only be until we could be certain you won't seriously harm yourself. "

"You are also not crazy, Ariana. Hurting, in pain, and exhausted, yes. But not crazy. You are going to struggle, you are going to feel emotions that don't always make sense, you are going to have bad days. But none of that makes you crazy." Mary added quietly, fighting the urge to get up and hug the child. They had to do this on Ariana's terms, no matter how hard that was.

They wouldn't lock her up. Being restricted to the infirmary wasn't great bit she could visit Emma and Rose spent a lot of time up there. She wasn't being locked away. She might be able to handle that, even if it meant losing a little bit of freedom for a while. But she was so tired, so exhausted, that she really didn't want to do anything else. Because otherwise she'd have to talk. Otherwise she'd have to explain. And she couldn't, not right now. She didn't know what she wanted anymore but the infirmary was safe. She could sleep there, because someone was always near by. Ariana thought she might be able to do this, as much as she knew that she would have to talk eventually. That if she didn't finish the job now, remove herself from this life, that they would ask her questions until she finally gave in and talked. She wasn't sure she cared right now though. Because harming herself took work and energy, which she didn't have. Besides that, Lila and Derek needed her. She quickly brushed the tears away from her eyes, biting her lip for a moment. "I...will you go with me?" She asked quietly turning her eyes to Mary.

"Of course I will." She replied quietly, standing slowly and holding out a hand to the teenager. She waited while the teenager thought it over before a hand carefully took hold of hers. She squeezed the teenager's hand for a moment before gently wrapping an arm around the towel-wrapped girl. "Let's get you upstairs and then I'll get some clean clothes for you, alright?"

Henry followed the two silently, touching his pendant to send a message to Eric that they were heading up now. He knew that it would take time but eventually, the hurting teenager would heal. All of those at the camp would, students and staff, even if he knew that there would still be more work to do once school started back.


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Words in - - are signed; words in : : are bonded conversations.

-x-  
He paused in his stride, eyes falling on the young Headmistress for a long moment, standing silently at the end of one of the beds. "She'll sleep for another few hours at least, Alexis." He commented softly, moving to stand beside her.

"I know." She moved slightly, so that she could lean into his side. "I'm just glad that they caught it in time. How long has it been since she slept?" She had been worried when she first got the message, but when Jake had informed her that Mary and Henry were with Ariana, she knew the teen would be as safe as possible. She had stayed nearby, of course, in case she was needed. She had known that with a school of that size, there was bound to be a student who would feel suicidal at some point. That was why she had hired Henry, after all. But she hated that there wasn't anything she could do but be there and be supportive.

"Nearly four days. How are Lila and Derek taking it?" He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, squeezing tightly for a moment. They had moved past what had happened with the nightmare creature and Alexis seemed to be feeling a little more affectionate since, which he was perfectly fine with. He watched the sleeping teenager for a moment before gently guiding Alexis toward his office. There were wards on her bed, the self harm ward was always active in the medical wing, and she had on one of the bracelets that would not let her leave the infirmary. Plus, the teenager was sound asleep, thanks to some dreamless and her own sleep-deprived state.

She hesitated for a moment, eyes locked on the girl who looked so much younger, especially with a teddy bear tucked under her arm. She looked so peaceful in slumber, much more so than the pain and fear the girl had worn like a cloak when they had brought her up. She finally gave in, moving with Eric. "Derek is understandably upset but he is keeping an eye on Lila and taking care of her. Lila... she doesn't really understand, which might be better for the moment. Apparently Derek had told her that Ariana had not been sleeping, so she just thinks that Ariana is getting some much needed sleep. " She responded quietly, stepping away from him to drop into one of the few chairs in his office. "I need to get you some comfortable furniture. And another healer."

"She's barely eleven, Alexis. If Ariana chooses, she can tell her after we release her from suicide watch. From what Henry's noticed and her words early, I'm thinking at least five days. " Eric sighed softly, eyeing her for a moment before tapping his desk. Two cups of tea popped into view. He gestured toward it and waited until she had made her tea before starting to make his. "A bunk room would be nice but it can wait. As for a healer, I'll keep looking until I find one that fits."

"The one I told you about-"

"No."

"Eric.."

"The answer is no, Alexis. She has no experience with children, has never been in trouble for anything in her entire history as an apprentice and a healer, and you just like her because she's cute." He replied firmly, shaking his head. He was wary of anyone who had never had a single incident of trouble or accidents before. All apprentices made mistakes, had errors of judgment, and got into some sort of trouble, it was a part of learning. Not getting in trouble meant not getting corrected, not having learned from mistakes.

She rolled her eyes, tapping her fingers to her leg for a moment. "I don't like her. And if I wanted a cute girl on staff to look at, I have Kate." She snapped after a moment. She didn't like that he was implying she would hire someone just because they were cute. She wouldn't; they would have to fill a need. She did understand why he wouldn't hire the woman though, especially since she had very little knowledge of pediatric medicine "We need a healer, Eric. You, Poppy, and Lucas are too stretched out as is. I know you are planning to use some of the counseling staff after the school year starts, but you need another healer."

"What do you mean that you have Kate?" He raised an eyebrow when she groaned, frowning slightly. Did he really even want to know what was going on between the two young women.

She grimaced, closing her eyes for a moment. She had come up here to check on Ariana and now she was going to have to explain her confused thoughts and feelings on Kate to Eric. It was barely past ten. It was going to be a long morning.

-x-

"Will you stop?" Bain grumbled, knocking Teddy's hand away from one of the frying pans again. "It's hot."

Teddy shrugged, plucking another piece of bacon from the frying pan. Bain had decided that he wanted to make pancakes and bacon. And while he had both before, he had never made pancakes so he had asked the older boy if he could help. He was suppose to be pouring the pancake mix into the pan but the bacon on the other burner smelt so good that he just wanted to eat it straight from the pan.

"If you get a grease burn, I'm not explained it to mum." He stated, shaking his head. It was nearly lunch time and he was craving pancakes. Minzi had offered to make them some but he had asked the elf if she knew where he could get the ingredients. Elijah, of course, had disappeared down to the camp at the mention of food. So it was just for him and Teddy. It was rare that he ever just had time with Teddy. Usually the 'twins' were always with Teddy or Elijah was around. It was nice to spend time with his youngest brother and talk about something other than dragons, if he was lucky.

He hesitated before pouring the next batch of pancakes. "Can we add chocolate chips to these?"

"Sure we can. Look in the back of that cabinet, that's where mum hides the chocolate."He shrugged, placing the bacon on a plate before adding a few more strips to the pan. He was hungry, after all, and he knew how much he could eat.

The preteen dug around in the cabinet for a moment, finally finding an open bag of chocolate chips among a few chocolate bars. He poured them into the remaining pancake mix, stirring it quickly before pouring it into the pan. He tossed a handful of chocolate chips in his mouth, grinning at Bain when the older boy shook his head.

Bain finished cooking the bacon, moving to flip the pancakes. "Will you set the table, Teddy?" He requested, nodding when the preteen did as he asked. He flipped the last pancake onto the plate, turning the stove off and quickly moving to set the food onto the table. He glanced at the glasses of orange juice Teddy had poured, giving the younger boy a small smile. "Good idea Teddy. Now it's like we are having breakfast."

"We are having breakfast, just a late one." He retorted, quickly filling his plate with food. "Did you know that there is a school for deaf wizards?" Teddy took a bite of one of the pancakes, grinning as the warm chocolately goodness filled his mouth.

He blinked, taking a bite of his own pancakes. They were actually pretty good. He never really had a chance to make them often but pancakes, especially ones he made himself, were one of his favourite foods. Then again, he had a lot of favourite foods. "That's not surprising, actually. They have to learn magic differently than we do. How did you find this out?" He could almost guess, really. Teddy found out information in three ways: by eavesdropping, by snooping, or from Karrie and Harry.

"There was a pamphlet on mum's desk about signed spells from that school. We figured that she was looking into it for Lila. She might be the first student to use signed spells here." He shrugged, popping another piece of bacon into his mouth. He loved bacon and he couldn't understand why people like Karrie hated it. It tasted so good. "Oh, and the pamphlet was in plain view. I wasn't nosing around."

"This time." He did get it though. It was always better to have information and be prepared for what might happen, than to just not know if they were going to get beaten. Luckily, Alexis seemed to know that the three of them might look at some of the things she left on her desk, so there was never anything important or confidential left just laying about. "I've never seen signed magic before, so it'd be interesting to see how it actually works." He added quietly. Bain could imagine how useful it would be, however. Especially in a duel when an opponent cast a tongue-tying curse. While they taught nonverbal magic in sixth and seventh year, it was hard to master. Most of his classmates would only have a few spells down before university. He only had about three he could do nonverbal and while they were useful, everyday spells, they wouldn't help in a duel or an accident. And that wasn't even wandless. There were times he was so envious of how easy Severus and Alexis made wandless magic seem. It wasn't easy.

He shrugged, reaching for more pancakes. He was hungry but he was always hungry now. Teddy knew he wasn't the only one, though. A lot of the kids at camp were hungry all the time. It had something to do with their bodies healing and growing. "I wonder if mum knows signed magic. She does sign a lot." He knew that it might be different, but Alexis did sign often, even with them. There were times when she was talking to them, particularly if she was busy, that she also signed whatever she was saying. And he had seen a time when Alexis and Eric had an entire conversation in sign language, although he was sure they didn't know he had seen that. He saw a lot of things that he probably wasn't meant to. Bain said it was because he was so quiet, Elijah just said he was nosy. But he liked knowing what was going on, he didn't like the uncertainty of not knowing. So maybe he was a little nosy.

"She might. Where are Karrie and Harry?" Bain finished his second stack of pancakes quickly, glancing at the few remaining pancakes. "If you are still hungry, I can make some more."

He shook his head, slowly chewing his last bite. "I'm full." He stated, reaching out and grabbing the last piece of bacon with a grin. Teddy popped it in his mouth, savoring the taste for a long moment. "Karrie was taking a nap and Harry was eating lunch with our cabin. He wanted to talk to Michael about comic books. Something about Spider-man. Which isn't, apparently, a half man half spider creature, which would have been cool. It's some teenager who got bit by a spider and now thinks he's a spider. Or something like that. I like Batman better." Sometimes the comics Harry read, the mundane ones, confused him. And while they were interesting, he didn't know enough about them to engage in a debate about which comic was better with Harry. Michael, however, did. He didn't mind spending some time away from his friends, as sometimes they did drive each other crazy. Plus, he knew Karrie wasn't sleeping well, which meant Harry wasn't sleeping well, which meant that both of them would be quicker to snap at each other and him. He did understand, because he was often just as tired as they were.

The red-head snorted, shaking his head. Only his brother would think up such a terrifying magical creature without fear. A half man half spider sounded like a nightmare he had once and he was sure if such a creature existed, Teddy would want to know everything about it. That would be so much worse than nonstop dragon facts. "You have art after lunch or therapy?" Bain asked, moving to wash off the dishes. He passed the rinsed dishes to Teddy and he loaded them into the dishwasher. Before he could move to wipe down the table, Teddy was already there. Unlike Elijah, Teddy never complained about helping clean up. They made a mess, after all, so they should clean it up. It wasn't Minzi's job and it wasn't something their mum needed to worry about, she had too much other, more important things to do.

"Bain." Teddy whined, turning pleading brown eyes on his brother. He had a session next and he didn't want to go. He hated it, hated talking, but Alexis kept telling them that it would help. That eventually it got easier. But it wasn't easier now and he didn't always want to talk about it.

"I'll give you a chocolate frog if you go." He bribed. Sometimes it actually worked.

"You never go."

"I do so. I don't always like it but I go." Bain retorted, raising an eyebrow at the younger boy. He just wouldn't mention that Alexis and Severus made him go. He knew the benefits of therapy, after all, he just didn't like talking about his past. But Paul never pushed him if he really just couldn't talk about something.

"A cauldron cake." Teddy negotiated, frowning at the older teenager. He knew that Bain skipped occasionally, all of the camp kids skipped occasionally.

He hesitated, running through the list of sweets that Teddy could have in his head. He was almost certain that cauldron cakes were not on it. "An oatmeal raisin cookie." He counter-offered, raising an eyebrow when the younger boy scowled.

"Three."

"Two cookies, final offer." He then fought back a chuckle, realizing that they sounded like one of those mundane television shows. He was sure that the adults would look down on his bribery, but if it got Teddy to talk to someone other than the twins or him and Elijah, then he was going to use it.

His love for oatmeal raisin cookies, his favourite, was winning. He really didn't want to go but for the cookies... "Okay. But will you walk down with me?" He asked finally. Because if he went alone, he might skip and he knew Tim wouldn't hunt him down if he did. The healer seemed to understand that there were days when he really just couldn't deal with it.

"Of course, brat." He replied teasingly, squeezing the younger boy's shoulder so that he would understand that it was a joke. "Let's get moving."

-x-

"Go fish." Emma frowned down at her small pile of cards before returning her eyes to the younger two girls. "Okay Mia, your turn." She directed, more for Lila's benefit than anything else. The youngest girl had never played before and they were trying to teach her. Not that Go Fish was a hard game.

Mia grimaced, fighting down a wave of pain as she leaned forward in her chair. She would much rather sit in the armchair in Emma's room but she didn't think she could lift herself out of the wheelchair right now and Lila was too little. "Any twos?" She responded finally, glancing at her cards. She reached out to take the cards Lila offered but stopped, suddenly feeling very dizzy. "I don't feel good, Emma." She mumbled, knowing that the verbal girl would be her best bet for help.

Lila frowned, moving from her seat on Emma's bed to Mia's chair, -Hurts?-

-Need help- Mia signed back, biting down a scream at the pain in her spine.

Emma didn't hesitate, turning her palm toward the wall, away from Lila and Mia. Alexis was teaching her to control and release the excessive magic in her body, so she knew this would be much quicker than shouting. She focused, forcing as much magic toward the wall as possible, knowing quite well it would trigger the ward and someone would be there in seconds, especially since she had friends with her.

Lila turned as the door opened, signing rapidly at Eric. -Mia help. Hurts-

He blinked, taking in all three girls for a moment. He had feared, for a brief moment, that Emma's magic had attacked the other two girls. Luckily that wasn't the case; he just had a very smart preteen who had wanted him quickly. "What happened?" He questioned quietly, crouching beside Mia's chair and running a quick scan over her.

"She was fine and then she moved to take Lila's cards. She said she didn't feel good." Emma responded, quickly catching Lila's hand and drawing the younger girl back onto her bed and out of the way.

He frowned, raising an eyebrow at her scan. This couldn't be right. There was no way this was right. "Lila, go get Rose for me please." He instructed calmly, resting a gently hand on Mia's shoulder. He send a small bit of magic into her, to ease some of the pain. "Emma, may I use your bed?" He asked, glancing at the preteen as Lila went to search for Rose. That got the youngest girl out of the room, at least.

She nodded rapidly, quickly moving from the bed. "Can I help?" She asked, blue eyes focused on the younger girl. Even though Mia was silent, she could see the pain on her face as silent tears were running down her face.

Eric stood, carefully lifting Mia from her chair and laying her gently on the bed. He lowered the bed so that it was laying flat, before quickly running his wand over the young girl again. "Not at the moment, Emma, but I'll let you know if I need something." He replied, resting a hand on Emma's leg and running his magic through it again. "How you doing, Mia?" He needed the girl to talk to him, he needed to keep her conscious and he wasn't sure how long that would last with the amount of pain coursing through her body. He sighed softly, watching her back arch in pain once more. "Talk to me, Mia. I need you to stay with me."

She bit her lip, trying to stop the tears of pain. It hurt. It hurt so much and she didn't understand why it hurt so bad. It had only ever felt like this right after her accident, when she had woken up in the hospital. It felt like there was a knife in her spine and the pain just kept traveling down her left leg.

"Hey Mia? It's okay. Eric's going to help you. It's okay." Emma grabbed the younger girl's hand, squeezing it briefly in comfort before an idea hit her. It was something she had seen on some show once, even if she couldn't quite place it. "Squeeze my hand, Mia. You can squeeze my hand if it hurts. Okay?" She added quietly, glad for a moment that Lila wasn't in the room. She could only imagine how frightened she would be of the pure pain in Mia's eyes. She gave the younger girl a small smile when the hand she was holding tightly gripped her own.

"I'm going to transfigure your jeans into shorts, Mia, so that I have better access to your legs." He stated calmly, doing just that. He knew that the girl was listening and he wasn't going to talk to her like she couldn't understand him. He was glad, however, that Emma had decided to offer Mia comfort. He just hoped Emma could keep her own magic under control. "Rose, grab the black bag with a purple healers symbol from my office, please. Lila, you can stay but I need you to sit it that armchair, okay?" He directed, feeling the teenager's magic as she stepped into the room with Lila pulling on her arm. He felt her magic quickly retreat, even as he heard the preteen drop onto the armchair. "Alright Mia, I'm going to feel your legs, okay? It might hurt a little. If it does, just squeeze Emma's hand." He gently felt her right leg, checking the bones and muscle quickly with his hands and his magic. Her right leg was as it had been before. He moved his hands to her other leg, starting from her ankle again and feeling up. He got to just below her knee before the girl screamed, trying to jerk her body away from him.

"It's okay, Mia. Eric isn't trying to make it hurt. It's okay. Take a deep breath." Emma murmured, remembering what Alexis always told her. The red head's grip on her hand tightened further but she didn't pull away. It hurt but her friend was in so much more pain that she wasn't going to deny her this small comfort.

Lila scowled, rocking in place on the armchair for a few moments. She wanted to help but she didn't know how. Her friend was in pain and she didn't know how to make it better. Derek always gave her one of her few dolls when she was upset and Ariana always hugged her. She couldn't hug Mia without hurting her and she couldn't calm her with words. She bit her lip, frustrated for a moment and trying very hard not to hit the chair, the adults kept getting on her for hitting things. Her eyes fell on Mia's chair, moving to the bag on the back of it. She moved quietly, to not distract Eric, and carefully removed Mia's doll from the bag. Unlike the first time they met, she couldn't use her magic to get it to her, not with Eric and Emma in the way. She slipped to the side of the bed, trying to stay out of Eric's way, and gently placed the doll under Mia's free arm. She then quickly darted back to the armchair.

He rested one hand on her shoulder before sending a small pulse of magic into her knee. The preteen jerked again and he frowned, eyes focused on the knee. The nerves in her upper leg and knee were reforming and quickly. The potion they had used to try to heal the damage had never been used to heal a paralyzed child and never a person paralyzed as long as she had been. "I know it hurts Mia, I'm so sorry. I just need to feel the muscles above your knee now." He stated, doing just that. He stopped for a moment, feeling Rose enter the room. He took the bag when she offered it to him, quickly rummaging through it. "Rose, will you lift her into a sitting position? Let's get this in her before we go any further. Just be gentle, every touch causes pain. " He instructed, finding the vial and uncorking it.

Rose gently lifted the preteen, wrapping an arm under her to keep her in a position where she wouldn't choke on the potion. It had taken her a moment to find that bag, it wasn't one Eric used often, as she didn't remember seeing it before. She just hoped it was a pain potion he was giving the little girl, as she could see the pain in those tear-filled eyes. "Is it her legs?"

He tilted the vial into the girl's mouth, being careful to make sure she didn't get more than half of the potion. It wasn't really designed for use with children, a full dose would be too strong for her little body. He waited a moment, nodding at Rose. The teenager lowered the younger girl so that she was laying down again. He gave it another moment for the potion to kick in. "Mia, I'm going to roll you on your side, alright? I want to check your spine." When the young girl nodded, he caught Rose's eye and the two of them gently moved the girl. He pushed Mia's shirt up in the back, gently running his hand over her spinal cord.

She gasped in pain, even as it quickly seemed to go away. She was pretty sure it was the nasty liquid he had just given her. She loved magic, even if it made her hurt sometimes. She flinched when he reached the middle of her spine, trying to pull away. "Hurts."

Rose ran her fingers through the preteen's hair, eyes focused on what Eric was doing. "It's okay, Mia. His almost done. It's okay." She soothed, glancing at her and then to the other preteen who was still holding her hand. She kept combing her fingers through the girl's hair, hoping to calm her some.

He ran his hand up to the base of her neck, feeling each vertebrae and letting his magic examine every part of her spinal cord. The parts of her spine that had been undamaged were the same as they were the first time he examined her. The damaged parts, however, were not. "Your lumbar vertebrae, the part of your spine that deals with the function and nerves in your legs, is healing. The damaged vertebrae are repairing themselves and the nerves are reforming much faster than we had anticipated. Because of this, your body is using more energy than it normally would. That's why you didn't feel well." He hated it, but there wasn't much he could do except relieve her pain. He needed to find a way to slow down the process, as it was working almost too quickly. Her young body couldn't handle it and as fast as it was healing, it could heal incorrectly. The potion she was suppose to take every other day might have to go to every four days, unless there was a way to dilute it.

"Isn't there a way to numb her spine, so that it doesn't hurt?" Rose asked, frowning slightly. She gently helped him move the girl onto her back again. While the pain had eased on Mia's face, she could tell that the younger girl was still in some pain.

"I'm tired." She mumbled, letting her eyes close for a brief moment. She was so tired and as much as she wanted to just go to sleep, she also wanted to play with her friends. Her back still hurt a little, but it didn't feel much worse than it normally did. She was just so very tired all of a sudden.

He blinked, glancing at his young apprentice for a moment. That was a good idea, actually. "We can't numb it entirely, but there is a potion that could numb it enough to make the pain more bearable." He responded, running through the ingredients in his head to make sure they wouldn't counter-act the potion they were giving her to heal the damage. He'd have to talk to Severus, but he was almost sure he could use that potion to slow down the process. It was worth looking into at least. " I know you are tired, Mia. Let's get you to a bed in the main wing, and then you can sleep for a while." He added gently, turning his eyes back to the young red head.

"I want to stay here." She didn't mean to whine, she really didn't. But she was tired and she still felt some pain and she just wanted to sleep. She felt safe with her friends, she wanted to sleep here.

"Mia.." He sighed, glancing toward Emma for a moment. She hadn't had a episode of her magic spilling out in two days. That was the longest she had made it and he didn't want to push it. He didn't want any of these young girls to get hurt if Emma's magic lashed out.

She hesitated, chewing on her lip for a moment before glancing at Lila. "It's okay, Eric. She can sleep there. Lila and I can play on the floor." Emma remarked quietly, catching his eye. She knew he would understand what she wasn't saying. That she felt in control today, that her magic wasn't overpowering her. That she would never harm Lila or Mia, not if she could help. She also was starting to recognized the signs that her magic was going to lash out, Alexis had been teaching her, so she knew she would have enough time to yell for help "We'll be okay."

He thought about it for a few minutes before finally nodding. "Alright, but you must call me immediately if you start to feel out of control." He met the preteen's eye, nodding slightly. Honestly, they would not let the two younger girls visit if he thought her magic was going to lash out. He had faith that she could handle this. He turned his eyes back to Mia, chuckling softly at the sight. The preteen had fallen asleep. He gently moved the bed into a more comfortable position before covering her with a blanket. "Rose and I will be in the main wing if either of you need anything." He added quietly, before gesturing to the teenager to follow him out.

"Do you want to finish Go Fish or would you rather play dolls?"

-Dolls.- Lila grinned, moving to pick up her doll from where she had put it earlier. She glanced at Mia to make sure the other girl still had her doll tucked under her arm. Once she spotted it, she picked up her own doll, before sitting down on the carpet. They could easily play dolls quietly until Mia woke up.

-x-

" How are you doing today, Teddy?" Tim inquired quietly. Hopefully today would be more productive than their last few sessions. Teddy was just one of those kids who never really talked. The child was naturally quiet and very private, so getting him to open up was not an easy task. Half the time the child didn't even respond to standard greeting.

He shrugged, running a hand through his hair for a moment. "I'm okay, I guess. Bain and I made pancakes earlier."

He blinked, watching the child for a moment. Teddy so rarely volunteer information without being ask that it had shocked him for a second. "Pancakes are delicious. Did you make a particular type or did you just make plain pancakes?"

"Some were plain but Bain let me add chocolate chips to the last bit. And they were awesome." He grinned. He was so glad that he got to spend time with just Bain. He liked spending time with both of his brothers, they just never got to have one on one time. It was nice.

He smiled at the preteen, shaking his head. He knew Bain wouldn't have let the younger boy have too much sugar and his potions were working well, so he wasn't too worried about it. "I used to eat blueberry pancakes all the time. They were my favourite. But I haven't had chocolate chip pancakes in quite a while, I might just have to make some."

"Blueberry? I've never had pancakes with fruit in them. Are they good?" He asked, letting his curiosity get the better of him for a moment.

So pancakes was going on the very short list of topics that Teddy would speak about. Food and dragons, the only subjects the preteen had willingly engaged with him about. "They are pretty good. Fruit crepes, however, are better." He responded quietly.

"I love crepes! Mrs. Malfoy always makes them on Saturday mornings during the summer. I always spent about two weeks with them each summer." Teddy answered, brown eyes lighting up for a moment.

"Did you like spending time at their house?"

"Mh-hm. It was a lot better than being at my father's house. Plus, there was always a bunch of kids there." He shrugged, biting his lip for a moment. He didn't like thinking about his father or what had gone on at that house, but he did like the memories he had made at the Malfoys with his friends every summer.

He fought the urge to raise a brow, eyes focused on the young preteen. He had to wonder if Bain had slipped a potion on some sort into Teddy's juice. But while there were potions that would cause openness, he could also easily tell that the boy hadn't been given anything. He be a poor mind-healer if he couldn't catch a truth potion or spell. The preteen was merely more talkative today than he normally was. "What did you like about being at the Malfoys?"

Teddy hesitated, kicking his legs. He was still too short, his feet couldn't touch the floor from here. He glanced at the older man in the armchair near his, chewing on the inside of his cheek for a moment. " Being with my friends. "

"Were a lot of your friends there?" He was pretty sure he knew that answer, since he did know what Narcissa did during the summer for those kids.

"Yeah. Almost all of them. The Malfoys always have a ton of kids there. The nursery is huge and then there is always dozens of kids my age." He shrugged, twisting a strand of brown hair around his finger.

"Was it ever overwhelming, being with that many kids?"

"Not really. The camp feels like it did but with group. And there aren't any babies here. I helped in the nursery a few times and there were always a million little kids." Alright, he knew it was more like five or six little kids, but it had always felt like a million, especially when they started crying. Teddy actually liked the camp, especially the way they were separated by age. It made it easier because they didn't have to act any older than they actually were.

He gave a slight smile, hearing the preteen exaggeration. "Did you like helping with the little kids?"

He shrugged again, glancing toward the window. He'd rather be outside right now, where he knew Harry and Karrie would be. "It was ok. Can I go?"

And they had been making a bit of progress. "Not just yet, Teddy. It's only been fifteen minutes. I get you for at least twenty more. " He responded calmly, watching the child deflate. He wasn't sure if the boy would keep talking with him or if he would just shut back down. "What's on your mind, today?"

He kicked his feet against his arm chair, eyes focused on a bird flying past the window. "Do you know any signed magic?"

Tim blinked, raising an eyebrow at the child. The child was wizard-born, so he might have heard of it before this summer. However, he was willing to bet that the child had either overheard a conversation he was not meant to or was snooping around again. "Signed magic? I know a few simple spells but not much. It's hard to learn as an adult wizard, since it involves channeling your magic differently. Have you seen someone doing signed magic?" He inquired, noting the preteen's darting eyes.

"I found a pamphlet on a school for deaf wizard and it talked about it." He answered finally, not looking toward Tim but his curiosity was getting the better of him. "Can I see one?"

The quiet curiosity of this child always tugged at his heart. That spark in those brown eyes, the barely hidden grin...he could easily see why Alexis' had fallen in love with this one. It wouldn't hurt to show the preteen one simple spell and it would hopefully keep him from trying it alone. "You may. However, you are not to try signed magic alone. It is complicated and unless you have a mastery of sign language in general, it could go horribly wrong. So I need your word, Teddy, that you won't try it without help from an adult who knows signed magic." He ordered briskly, meeting the boy's eyes before the child looked down. As far as he knew, there were only about four people at Hogwarts who knew signed magic and he was pretty sure none of them knew enough of it to comfortably teach someone. He knew he wasn't.

" I won't." He promised quickly, eyes focusing back on the older man. He really was just curious about how it worked. He wasn't planning on trying it, not now anyway.

He nodded, slowly removing his wand from its holster. He noticed the child's flinch, sighing softly. He knew the boy's fear wouldn't be gone over night but he had hope that Teddy was starting to trust him, since he hadn't darted from his chair and to the door this time. He positioned his wand, holding his other hand just above it before making the sign for light. He chuckled softly when the boy gasped, smiling at him.

"That was cool! But it doesn't look hard."

"That was a signed lumos Teddy and it took a few years for me to master it. Children raised signing magic have a much easier time learning new spells." He replied, shaking his head slightly. He knew a few signed spells but they take more effort and concentration on his part.

He shrugged, turning his eyes back to the window. Maybe Alexis knew it and she could show him some more spells.

-x-

" I hate you! Leave me alone!"

He grimaced, feeling the sting of his brother's words. "Stop being dramatic Damien. I told you-"

"Shut up!" He glared at Isaac for a moment longer before taking off in the opposite direction, toward the place where he felt safest.

Isaac grumbled, slumping against the wall. At least they had been away from camp, in one of the corridors not being used that summer. While he knew his brother didn't really hate him, the words stung. He was just trying to protect the younger boy, couldn't he see that?

"Everything okay, Isaac?" Paul asked, raising an eyebrow at the teenager in concern. He had rounded the corner and the teenage had looked so dejected that the healer in him was sending off alarm bells. Not two in one day, that would be...devastating.

"Yes sir."

Back to not answering then. Isaac had said two whole paragraphs to him just yesterday, which had been major progress. "I know you don't want to talk about it, Isaac, but I'm here if you do."

The dark-skinned youth hesitated, tapping his fingers against the wall that his back was now pressing into. "Damien. He's just being difficult." He answered, shrugging slightly. He just wanted to protect him, he didn't want him getting too attached to Eric and Tim, because he knew it wouldn't last and Damien would get hurt. He had always tried to protect Damien, even when he was at school. But now, the preteen was just ignoring him. For some reason, he couldn't see that eventually they would be pushed away. His brother was too idealistic.

"Give him time. Once you are both calm, give him a chance to share his side of the story. Maybe he sees things differently than you do, so the two of you can discuss, calmly, how to handle whatever the situation happens to be." Paul responded calmly, watching the teenager carefully. He knew he wouldn't get much more out of Isaac, like what exactly they were arguing over, but that was alright for now. "I am always here if you need a listening ear, Isaac. I have a younger sister, so I understand how difficult younger siblings can be." He added quietly. He knew that with time, Isaac would start feeling comfortable enough to come to him or one of the other counselors, it just took time. The teenager merely nodded, glancing at him before walking away. All he could do was keep trying with him, with all of them. Eventually it would get easier.

-x-

Tim frowned, stepping through the floo and into their quarters. He had been coming home anyway, since he didn't have any more appointments until later that afternoon and he had set up a monitoring charm if anyone came to his office. But the ward to their bedroom had gone off, so one of the teenagers had entered their room which was fine, they had expected it actually. But he also knew that catching the teenager and showing them that they weren't really upset would go far in gaining the two teenagers trust. The teenagers he worked with were both curious and suspicious, so testing boundaries, snooping, and hunting for whatever they thought they might find was something that they had come to expect. Every time they took a teenager in, without fail, the kid ended up sneaking into their unlocked room. Of course, they would have known instantly if they had tried to open one of the locked and warded Healers' cabinets in their room. He sighed softly, slowly opening the door to their bedroom. Tim blinked, brown eyes searching the room with a frown. The threshold ward had gone off once, so the teen hadn't left. But he didn't see anyone. He tilted his head, spotting the closet door which was cracked open. Neither Eric nor him would have left that door open. He silently moved to the closet, carefully opening the door. It took him a minute to see the small child curled up in the very back of the closet, their robes cloaking him. "Damien?"

He pulled his legs tighter to his chest, burying his head in his arms. He didn't want to leave them, he didn't know why his brother thought they would have to. Because Eric and Tim treated them well and he liked them. He had just wanted to grab one of their robes, they had so many, because he liked the calming scent of Tim's robes and the warm feeling he got from Eric's. He knew he was weird but he had thought that maybe, maybe if he couldn't have them, he could have something to remember them by. He didn't understand Isaac, because the older men seemed to care for them. But maybe his brother was right and it was too good to be true.

"Hey buddy? I know you don't want to come out, but I'm going to sit right here, okay?" Tim stated calmly, slowly lowering his body down and sitting right beside the closet door but not blocking the child any. This wasn't the child he thought he would find in their room, especially not in the back of their closet. He gave his eyes a moment to adjust to the lack of light in the closet, frowning slightly. It looked like the child had wrapped himself in one of his or Eric's work robes, which was odd. Children normally did that after a loss.

He nodded his head, eyes peering over his arms at the healer for a moment. He hadn't meant to get caught. He waited for a few minutes, waiting to see if the healer would give up and move or if the man would just sit with him for a while. He hesitated before hiding his eyes once more. He didn't want to see the anger he knew would be there. "I'm sorry."

He sighed softly, leaning back slightly. "It's okay, Damien. I'm not upset with you or angry at you. While we prefer for you to not be in our room when we aren't home, it is okay. You aren't in trouble." Tim replied softly, give the boy a small smile when almond eyes peeked up to meet his again.

"Please don't tell Isaac."

His eyebrows knitted together in confusion, eyes focused on the little of the child's face he could see. Why would Damien be afraid of his brother? He knew for a fact that Isaac had never, and would never, harm him. Damien had told them that, after all and Isaac was more likely to be over-protective of his brother than to do anything else. "Why is that, Damien? "

He hesitated, chewing on his lip for a moment. "He'll be mad. He told me to be careful." He answered finally. If they were going to get rid of him anyway, there was no reason to lie.

"To be careful?" He echoed, letting his confusion show in hopes that the preteen would open up some more. He wasn't sure why the child had ended up in their closet but he had a feeling he wouldn't like it.

"Uh-huh. To not get attached. I wasn't trying to steal, honest." Damien shrugged, rubbing his thumb over the symbol on the robes he was wrapped in.

Okay, now he really was confused. Steal? And why was Isaac warning Damien not to get attached? Did the teenager really think they'd get rid of them so soon? "What weren't you trying to steal?" He asked finally, raising an eyebrow when the preteen buried his face in the fabric of the robe.

"This." He whispered, breathing in the calming smell of plants. Tim's robe, then.

"I'm a little lost, Damien. Why would you be stealing one of our robes?" He inquired calmly, biting back a sigh when the child sank further into the robes. "I'm not mad. I'm just confused and concerned Damien. I just want to make sure everything is okay." He added firmly, meeting the eyes that looked so much like his husband's when they darted up at him. He had a feeling Isaac said something to make Damien doubt their care for the two boys. They were both falling in love with these two boys, and with Rose, and they had made it clear that they cared for them. But he knew that wouldn't stop the doubts. Alexis and Remus had doubted them at first, these three were bound to do the same. He just hadn't expected it so soon from Damien.

"Don't laugh?" He waited until the healer nodded, taking a deep breath. "I wanted to remember you and Eric and your robes smell like you and I like the smell, it's comforting and I didn't want to lose that when you sent us away. " He took another breath, slowly unfolding himself the rest of the way so that he could see the healer fully. "I'm sorry."

His heart felt like it could break, seeing that look on that young boy's face. To hear that innocent and truthful explanation made his heart hurt. Because it told him more about Damien's childhood than the boy realized. "Damien...child. No one is sending you or Isaac anywhere." He responded quietly, scooting back an inch and gently tapping his leg. It took a moment before he had a lapful of preteen. He knew from the very neediness and insecurity that the boy's body screamed, that the child had never been held like this. Never sat on anyone's lap, never knew that level of love. He wrapped his arms around him, running one hand through the boy's hair. "Did your brother tell you that we might send you away?" He questioned softly, already guessing the answer to that.

"Yeah. He said it was too good to be true, that no one could really want both of us. That you'd see how much trouble we were and send us away." He placed his ear against Tim's heart, letting the soft drumming calm him. He used to do that to Isaac when he was little, after a beating.

He tightened his arm around the dark-skinned child, feeling the child relax. He would keep holding this preteen as much as and as often as he wanted, because he knew that soon enough, Damien would think he was too big for it, for physical affection. "We would never do that, Damien. Our magic has started forming bonds with you and Isaac, and Rose, already. The three of you are ours, even if that may seem uncertain and scary at times. You aren't going anywhere. We couldn't tire of you, you are not a toy. You are a person and a person that we are coming to care for deeply." He stated firmly, still combing his fingers through the boy's hair. Eric was going to have to do something about this mess that Damien called hair. He had sworn, after the fiasco with trying to fix Alexis' hair, that he was not going to mess with any of their wards hair ever again. Hair was not his specialty.

"Isaac doesn't believe that. Our father used to say that no one would ever want us and that if we told anyone, we'd go into care. They would have separated us, so Isaac made me promise to never tell anyone. I think our father's voice is still in Isaac's head." He smiled, closing his eyes for a moment. He liked the comfort that Tim offered, it made him feel safe.

"Eric and I will talk to him about it. But it is going to take time for Isaac to believe us. I just want you to believe me, that we would never, ever give away two wonderful children like you and your brother." He responded, smiling down at the child. It honestly looked like the child could go to sleep. Which meant it was time to move them, because if the child fell asleep on him here, on the floor, he would never be able to get up with him. "I'm going to let you go for a moment. Just a moment. So that we can move somewhere more comfortable." He waited until the fear in the child's eyes subsided before helping the boy stand up and then moving slowly to stand himself. He picked up the robe the child had dropped, slowly removing his wand and tapping it twice. Once it had shrank down, he offered it back to the preteen.

Damien grinned, slipping into the robe that now fit his size. Even better, it still smelled like Tim. He slipped a hand into Tim's, looking up at the healer. "Can we go in the living room?"

"Of course. You can keep that robe for as long as you need it." He squeezed the preteen's hand briefly before gently leading him into the next from. He sat down in his armchair, carefully pulling the young boy to cuddle comfortably on his lap.

-x-

Eric raised an eyebrow, catching sight of their youngest curled up on his partner, asleep. :Why is he wearing one of your robes?: He inquired silently, quickly retrieving and taking a picture with the magical camera that was on the mantle. They left it there for a reason. If he had to guess, he would say that Damien was probably having a hard day. After all, it was barely four and the child was asleep.

:It's a long story. I'll tell you tonight.: He caught the older man's eye, shaking his head. He was still a little frustrated at Isaac, for even putting that notion into  
Damien's head, but he knew that they really did need to talk about it. :You seem tense.:

:My two o'clock didn't show.:

:Student?:

:No. Henry. I found out late last night that his healer quit at the end of May.: He responded, letting his frustration show for a moment as he sank into his armchair. His eyes glanced at the door when Rose came flying into their quarters, into her room and then back into the main room.

She stopped, eyes landing on Damien. The child looked so cute and innocent when he was asleep. "You should get a picture of that." She smirked at Tim, glancing toward Eric for a moment.

"Oh, I did. Where are you running to?" Eric asked pointedly, keeping his voice down to not wake up Damien.

"Nowhere." She shrugged, darting back out the door once more.

:I don't know what we are going to do with that girl.: Eric shook his head, picking up a stack of papers he needed to work on.

:Between her and Isaac, we'll both be gray. Henry hasn't had a healer in nearly three months?:

:I'm not happy about it either. I'll give him a few days but if he still doesn't come, I'll handle it.: Eric responded, shifting through the papers for a moment.

He shivered, grimacing in sympathy. He could feel his partner's disappoint and frustration. And while he hadn't caused it, this time, it did make him almost feel sorry for Henry. Because he knew Eric well. If Henry didn't come to him in a few days, Eric would unleash his fury on him. He turned back to his reading, one hand gently combing through the preteen's hair. It hadn't taken long for him to realize that that was soothing for Damien. He was just happy that the young preteen was letting him comfort and cuddle him at all.  
-x-


	41. Chapter 41

-x-  
"You two are so domestic."

Severus snorted, not bothering to glance up from the inventory list he was going over. "Says the woman who used to make her own robes."

"Will you sit still, Alexis?" Remus growled, gently easing a comb through the worst of the tangles. The nutrition potion was making her hair stronger, it was no longer coming out in clumps which meant he could curl it again. If the woman would sit still long enough for him to get the rollers in.

She huffed, picking up another piece of parchment from the table. They were in Remus and Severus' quarters, in the kitchen. Every time she tried to curl her hair it became a helpless tangle of knots. Since she was avoiding Eric, she had snapped at him the day before, Remus was the only other person she trusted to do her hair. It was finally strong enough to hold curls again. "You know Remus, perhaps before school starts back we can set up a salon for the campers." She suggested, eyes scanning the sheet of parchment before placing it back on the table and picking up another one.

He had actually thought about that. "I had a similar idea, actually. If I can get some help, we could easily make sure every one of them felt confident going back to school. I'll have to make up a schedule for it, though. Several of the kids really need hair cuts, so I could try to find some time this week." After he did Karrie and Damien's hair, of course. Eric had asked him if he would be willing to do Damien's hair. Because while his dad could easily do most hair styles, the child wanted dreads and Eric had enough trouble doing that to his own hair, let alone anyone elses.

"I'm sure some of the counselors might be able to help and Eric, if he has time. Just don't ask Tim."

He snorted, rolling another strand of black hair and pinning it in place. "Please. I don't trust Tim with a comb. I wouldn't give him scissors."

Severus shook his head, glancing up at the two. "He can't be that bad." The twin looks he got was enough to tell him that Tim might really be as bad as these two have told him.

"Yeah, no. The last time Tim did my hair, Eric ended up having to cut it to a bob. A bob! And my hair had been down to my lower back." Alexis scoffed, shaking her head. She winced suddenly, feeling the curlers pull.

"If you keep moving your head, the curls won't set right." Remus scolded, frowning slightly. "Dad doesn't even let Tim do his own hair anymore. I remember when I was almost seventeen, one summer, and Tim had tried to cut his own hair. It was a disaster that took Eric nearly two hours to fix. He threaten to shave Tim's head the next time."

"Everyone had something they can't do well. You aren't the best at sewing, hair is not my specialty, and Alexis can't talk to girls." He commented , smirking at his sister when she glared at him.

"I can talk to girls just fine, thanks." She growled, pulling slightly. She grimaced at the smack to her shoulder.

"Sit still." Remus sighed, undoing and re-rolling that strand of hair. Didn't she realize that the more she moved, the longer it would take? Every time he did her hair, she fidgeted. He glanced at the parchment she was reading, raising an eyebrow. "You know this is suppose to be a relaxing, right?"

She snorted, keeping her head still as her eyes ran over the parchment again. "Unfortunately, that's not really in my schedule right now." She always had some sort of work she had to do, there wasn't any real downtime in running a school.

"Why did we order twenty kilos of dried kidney beans?" Severus inquired, frowning down at the list in his hands. It wasn't even in the food section of the inventory, which the elves ordered the food, but in the section for camp supplies.

"Charity."

He grimaced, shaking his head. That woman and her crafts. He should have known, really. "What a waste of food." He grumbled, making a quick note next to that line.

" I know." She sighed softly, catching his eyes for a moment before picking up the next sheet of parchment. She had a feeling Remus would be done with her hair before she was done with this small mountain of paperwork.

"Speaking of girls and your inability to talk to them, are the curls to impress someone?" Severus teased, grimacing as a hex hit him.

"Alexis." Remus scolded, casting a quick finite on his husband who was fighting the tickling hex. Only Severus would fight against a tickling hex. "Don't tease, Sev, or I'll do your hair next. It could use a deep conditioning." He threaten, eyeing the younger man's hair even as he continued to roll black strands. His partner's hair really did need to be trimmed and deep conditioned. The fight was getting Severus to let him do that, though.

-x-

Jake sighed softly, watching the twins wrestle. As much as he probably should separate them, he did realize that they were just playing. "Watch the furnishings, Milo." He cautioned as the teen rolled too close to an end table. At least the twin fourteen year-olds were no longer fighting.

"Wrap your leg around his, Marko, and use your arms to leverage him over." Michael instructed, eyeing the sloppy technique of the younger teens. What they needed was some mats and an open floor space. He had noted several of the other boys and some of the girls watching the twins with interested. Maybe he could convince Jake to let them practice wrestling in the work out room used by the quidditch teams. If everyone who was interested learned the correct moves and proper technique, they could have a wrestling tournament.

Marko grimaced, trying to wrap his leg around his brother's and failing miserably. He had never been good at wrestling, neither was Milo honestly. They just liked to play. He never did manage to win, though, which was a bit annoying. He tried to toss Milo off of him, finally stopping his movements in defeat.

"It was a good attempt, anyway." Daniel commented quietly, catching Michael's eyes.

"You wrestle?"

"At the community center whenever I could escape." He shrugged, eyes landing back on the twins as Milo sat on Marko's stomach, tickling the other boy.

"That's a really-" He broke off, sighing when Marko kicked Milo off of him with a shriek and into the table they were too close to. "Bad idea." He muttered, shaking his head. He glanced toward Jake, who had quickly moved to the twins, before looking back at Michael. "No chance in hell he'll go for any of us wrestling now, is there?"

Michael grimaced, shaking his head. "We both wrestled before, so maybe he'd let us teach whoever wants to the safe method of wrestling. It's very good as a stress release." But he knew that if one of the twins had gotten hurt playing, the adults might put a stop to it all together. Sometimes their counselors were a little over-protective, but it did feel nice that someone cared that much.

Did they think he was deaf? He quickly checked both twins out, feeling the small knot forming on the back of Milo's head. "Just take it easy for the rest of the day, alright Milo?" He ordered quietly. It didn't seem like the child had a concussion but he would keep an eye on it. "And there is a chance in hell, Daniel. Just not in the lounge. We'd have to find a spot with proper equipment and no furniture. If you both feel up to sharing techniques, I'm sure there are some of the boys and girls who would like to try it. So we will set something up." He added, looking toward the two teenagers. He wasn't surprised that both boys had learned to wrestle as a way to escape. He was even sure that one of the girls who had been watching also knew how to wrestle. If these kids wanted to try properly wrestling as a way of blowing off steam and as a new activity, it wouldn't hurt to try it. He would talk to Alexis about finding space for it.

Michael shared a long glance with Daniel, waiting until the other boy nodded. "We're up for it." It would be a good activity. They could only play football and quidditch so much, after all.

-x-

"You look tired." Charlie commented, frowning slightly at the woman.

Kate snorted, shaking her head. "I'm exhausted. Without Ariana, I can't keep up with where Karrie is at all times and I finally gave in and passed Lila to Jake. Rani and I will make it work. We have to." She responded, eyes finding the girl sitting under a tree with her two friends. Karrie wasn't in as much of a running mood today, thankfully, but she did still have those moments. It had been a long couple of days.

He glanced around for a moment, spotting each of his boys, before turning his eyes back to Kate. "Sometimes we just have to let them run." He caught sight of two of the youngest of his boys scrambling up a tree.

Easy for you to say. Harry doesn't run as often as he did anymore and your other runner stopped completely." She retorted, eyes searching for the rest of her girls for a moment before following Charlie's to a tree. "What are they doing?" The two preteen boys had stopped about half way up the tree and one of them was slowly testing his weight on a larger branch. She frowned, tilting her head slightly. It looked like the boy had on a healer's robe, which meant it could only be one preteen.

He sighed softly, moving quickly toward the tree. He had an idea of what the two preteens were up to and he wanted to be close enough that he could catch them if necessary. "Boys?" He called calmly, stopping a few feet from the tree. Of the two eleven year-olds, only one of them showed no fear.  
"Damien, what are you and Ben doing up there?"

"We're going to fly!" Damien grinned, taking another careful step onto the wider tree branch. They were just high enough up that falling might hurt a bit. But he wasn't going to fall. He had talked Ben into trying this, even though the other boy had kept muttering that he didn't really like heights. That was one reason they hadn't gone further up, because Ben had frozen about halfway up the trunk.

"You're going to do what?" He blinked, hoping to the gods that the kid didn't mean what he thought he did, that this was just another one of those make-believe games of the mundane-born.

He giggled, taking another few steps until he was clear of all the other tree branches. "Fly!" He had done it before but never on purpose. He figured if he just concentrated really hard he could do it.

"Why don't the two of you come down from there? I don't mind you climbing trees, but you are a little too high up." Charlie responded calmly, locking eyes with a terrified Ben. It had taken a lot of calming to get Ben on a broom, so he wasn't quite sure how Damien had talked the preteen into this.

Ben nodded, dark eyes locking with Charlie's as he slowly started climbing back down. Damien had said nothing about flying, the other boy had told him that they could see more of the grounds from up here, which they could. While it was beautiful, he would much rather be on the ground. He got about halfway down and his foot slipped. He screeched, gasping when his eyes found the ground. He was too high up, he was going to fall. He flinched when warm hands wrapped around his waist and plunked him off the tree.

"It's okay Ben, you are okay." Charlie soothed, rubbing a hand over the child's back when the boy buried his head in his shirt and wrapped his legs around his torso. He rocked slightly, trying to soothe the frightened preteen. At least the boy had been far enough down that he could grab him. His eyes caught sight of Damien as the young boy leaped off of his branch, a good twenty feet up.

"Damien!" He couldn't reach his wand without putting down the child who had a death grip on him. Shit.

Damien shrieked with joy as he leaped into the air, he loved the feeling of the wind. He focused on the feeling of flying, feeling his body start to glide a little. He lost his concentration when he heard his name, eyes glancing toward Charlie before the dark-skinned child realized he was now falling. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for impact. But after a moment, he opened his eyes again. He had stopped moving.

Kate took a breath, eyes focused on the preteen, hand out stretched. She slowly brought her hand down, lowering the child until his feet touched the ground. She took another deep breath, closing her hand so that the magic released the child. "Never do that again, Damien. You were too high up to jump safely to the ground. You could have severely hurt yourself." She scolded, crouching so that she was on the preteen's level. She had seen what he had been trying to do, after all.

"I was trying to fly!" He argued, glaring at the woman. She wasn't his counselor, so he didn't have to listen to her. Well, he knew that wasn't true. The two younger groups spent a lot of time together and they did listen to both sets of counselors. He picked at the edge of his robes for a moment before hiding his face in his robe. He could still smell and feel Tim in these robes, it was one of the reasons he didn't take the healer robes off. It made him feel safe.

She sighed softly, catching Charlie's eye for a moment before turning back to the child. "Damien...it is really really hard to fly like that on purpose. Have you done it when you were scared before?" She questioned quietly, locking eyes with the child.

He nodded silently, tilting his head. He had seen the last few seconds of her lowering him to the ground and she hadn't used a wand. There weren't many of the adults he had seen do magic without a wand and never like that. "Can you?"

"Fly?" She hesitated, glancing back at Charlie for a moment before returning her eyes to his. "Yes. But not until I was much older than you are. Your magic hasn't developed enough to be able to do that for an extended period of time. I know you were just playing but magic like that isn't really something to play with. You can get severely hurt." She added quietly, keeping her voice low enough that only Damien could hear it. Charlie would assume she had just done wandless magic and that was all he needed to know. Damien, however...if he told Eric or Tim, they would have questions that she really didn't want to answer.

He frowned, rubbing his hand over the healer symbol on his robe for a long moment. "When will I be able to fly?" He kept his voice low like Kate did, understanding quickly that she wanted to keep this private, even if he didn't quite know why. There was nothing wrong with doing magic that way, was there? Maybe Eric and Tim would know.

"I don't know Damien. It's not something that happens over night. Be patient and don't try to force it by jumping from high places. Alright?" She replied, glancing toward where Charlie was still calming Ben. She didn't want to think of what could have happened if Ben had panicked higher up or had knocked Damien over in his panic. Both boys could have been severely hurt. "Let's stay on the ground for the rest of today. I don't think mine or Charlie's hearts can handle another scare like that." She added at a normal volume so that Charlie could hear.

Damien shrugged, giving a half nod before taking off to where Chris and Malik were kicking a ball back and forth.

Charlie sighed softly when Ben finally stopped his iron grip but remained wrapped around him. "Do you want down?" He asked quietly, smiling at the frantic shake of the boy's head. "Hey, it's okay. You don't have to get down." He adjusted his hold on the preteen so that the boy would be more comfortable. He understood why Ben wouldn't want down, besides the brief scare the child had. This was a boy who had never experienced physical touch until he came to Hogwarts. He wasn't going to deny him that comfort. He caught Kate's eye, raising an eyebrow at her as he rubbed the preteen's back.

She shrugged, gazing pointedly at the child in his arms before turning her eyes back to the grounds, carefully searching for each of her girls and his boys.

So she wasn't going to tell him what that hushed conversation with Damien was about. He was curious about what spell she had used, it seemed quicker than the one he had used before. Perhaps she would tell him later this evening, after they got their respective kids in bed.

-x-

"Please Rose, it hurts." Karrie pleaded, eyes squeezed shut. She couldn't handle the magic. It was too much. Way too much. Rose had never said no before, so why would she now?

She hesitated for a moment before reaching out and taking the younger girl's hand. "It's okay, Karrie. Just take a deep breath for me, alright?" She couldn't leave the young girl in pain. She just couldn't do it. Eric just didn't understand, there wasn't any real danger to doing this. But not doing it, leaving Karrie to handle the magic alone, that was dangerous.

She opened her eyes as the pain slowly started to disappear. The buzzing faded and while magic still danced over her skin, it was no longer overwhelming. Active magic tended to overload her senses, so sometimes she had to get rid of it, pass it through Rose. Because Rose could turn active magic back to its original form. And that helped. She grimaced suddenly, trying to tug her hand out of Rose's. They were in the infirmary, she was suppose to come off the crutches today and Eric had wanted to check the progress of her leg. It wasn't Eric approaching and while she didn't think Lucas would notice the magic transfer, she didn't want to get Rose in any more trouble. "Lucas is coming." She whispered, catching the older girl's eyes.

She hesitated for a moment before quickly ending the transfer. Karrie seemed to be in less pain, at least, for the moment. She still wasn't quite sure how the girl knew but the green eyed preteen had yet to be wrong. "Okay. I'm going to check on Emma. Find me before you leave." She responded quietly, standing and turning to leave just as Lucas knocked on the door. "Let me get my new magazine and I'll show you the newest hair trends we can try." She added at a normal volume, smiling innocently at Lucas before quickly heading out of that room.

He shook his head, eyes focused more on the preteen than the teenager. Who did she think she was trying to fool? He knew when something was off with his patients, no matter how hard they tried to hide it. It just made him wonder what exactly Rose and Karrie were hiding. Lucas sighed softly, eyes landing on the preteen's cast. "Sorry about the wait, Karrie. Let's remove this and have a look, alright?" He gently moved her leg so that it was stretched out on the exam table she had been sitting on, tapping his wand to her cast. He frowned at her flinch, pausing his movements. "Did that hurt?"

She quickly shook her head, biting her lip. Of course it had hurt, the spell had quickly leaped onto her leg and the magic was stinging her skin. Lucas' magic felt so much different from Eric's, though she knew that it was the spell that hurt, not his magic.

The cast had quickly split open, so he could see her leg. It shouldn't have pulled or pinched her but he knew that reaction. He had been a pediatric healer for nearly two decades and Eric had brought him on as a member of the healing staff a few weeks earlier. Even though they were down a healer and he had a few sleepless nights, his eyes still watched every reaction a patient made carefully. Especially these children, these children who had been beaten so often that they easily hid pain. He had never seen so many of them in one place at the same time before and he had said quite a few choice words the more medical files he went through. He knew she wouldn't tell him if it hurt, so he figured he'd have to do this without his wand. Which was a bit more taxing on his magic, but it would prevent him from accidentally causing her pain, he hoped. He gently placed one hand under her knee and one over it, letting his magic slowly sink into her skin. He felt the bone with his magic, frowning suddenly. Her knee had been dislocated with a small fracture almost a week ago. With magic, it should have been over halfway healed by now. The dislocation was gone, her knee was fine. But the tibia, which had a tiny fracture, now had a much bigger one. "Have you fallen recently Karrie?"

She hesitated, tilting her head slightly. She had hoped that Lucas would decide she was healed enough and leave the cast off. She didn't quite know why he was asking that. "No." Sort of. But it hadn't really been a fall. More like a slip.

"You sure?"

She bit the inside of her cheek, nodding slightly and not looking at the older man. It didn't matter, her leg should still be okay.

He shook his head, letting his magic completely surround the break and settle the bone back into place. "You had a small fracture to your tibia. Somehow you managed to make the break much worse." He gave a soft smile at scowl on her face. Clearly, that wasn't what she wanted to hear.

"So I have to keep the cast?"

"Worse, you have to keep the crutches for another week. I'm going to place a new cast, since the break has moved." He retrieved the supplies he needed from a nearby cabinet, before gently wrapping her leg and tapping the cast with his wand to harden it.

Great. Crutches for another week and all because she had slipped in a courtyard trying to escape from Rani. "Okay." She grumbled finally, feeling the magic in the air try to comfort her. She let it dance on her skin until he finished with the cast, allowing the magic to distract her from the flare of pain.

Lucas found the pain potion he had been looking for, offering it to the child. He knew she was in pain, healing breaks was painful, and he also knew that she wouldn't have told him. "Drink this please, it will help. And then you may have a cookie. I have chocolate chip."

"Two cookies." She bargained, slowly taking hold of the potion. At his nod, she tilted it back and drank it, recognizing the feel of the magic within it. It was one of Severus' potions and it quickly made her pain vanish.

"May I help you down?" He requested, waiting for her nod. He wasn't going to let a child with a broken tibia get down by herself and she seemed to realize that. He carefully rested his hands on her waist, lifting the underweight child off the table and gently setting her on her feet. He kept a grasp on her as she found her balance before moving to give her the crutches back and to get the jar of cookies. "Try to take it easy this week, Karrie. I would like to get you out of that cast before school starts back." He remarked calmly, setting the jar back on the counter after she had snatched two.

"I'll try." She shrugged, quickly maneuvering herself out of the room. She would love to be out of the cast by the end of August. She didn't want her housemates asking uncomfortable questions, after all.

-x-

Alexis sighed, following the call from the castle further and further into the maze of hallways and classrooms. She was far from the camp, somewhere on the sixth floor, trying to find whoever it was that was setting off alarms in her mind. She stopped outside of one of the upper level runes class, feeling the magic coming from that room. She was almost certain it wasn't a student. She slowly, cautiously opened the door, raising an eyebrow as she stepped inside.

"Kate?"

She spun around, moving her hands away from the rune stones she had discovered. She knew better than to touch them, her curiosity just got the better of her. "Headmistress?" She gasped, trying to force herself not to stutter. She was always so nervous around the older woman, even after the...incident.

"I..I..what are you doing here?"

"I should ask you the same. I was following a high concentration of magic and a distress signal from the castle. You?" She responded firmly, keeping her tone soft. She didn't want to frighten Kate and the other woman always seemed to be frightened around other adults. She was wonderful with the children but around adults she became a bundle of nerves.

She grimaced, biting her lip. Her touching the runes had sent off a distress signal? Maybe she really shouldn't be here after all.

"Kate...talk to me. Please?" She requested quietly, forcing down a sigh. The younger woman seemed to have shut down.

She absently brushed her hand against one of the rune stones, feeling a burst of calmness. She wasn't suppose to touch them, she knew her magic could harm them, but in the few minutes after she had discovered them, they had made her feel calm. She closed her hand around the stone, feeling the magic in it, allowing it to push her mind far away from where it had been. "I'm fine, Headmistress."

"You're not. Talk to me, please."

"I..I can't...I just..."

She moved slowly, keeping her motions deliberate, before gently taking hold of Kate's free hand. "You can. Tell me what's wrong." She instructed firmly, rubbing a thumb over the back of Kate's hand. She was hoping it would be calming but she also knew that one wrong move could send Kate to completely shut down. "You are safe here. No one is going to hurt you here."

She squeezed the rune tighter, trying to ignore the hand gently holding her own. Alexis wouldn't understand, how could she? Seeing Damien being so free with his magic had caught her off guard. It had brought back memories, memories she could block when surrounded by the children but when she was alone, they hit full force. She hated feeling scared so much but she couldn't stop it. Couldn't make herself less afraid. As much as she wanted to, she knew that she couldn't explain. Because they wouldn't keep her if they knew. Who would want a freak like her around their children. "I'm fine."

"So your fucked up, insecure, neurotic, and emotional? I know you are breathing, Kate. But I also know you are hurting. You don't have to tell me, but it'll help. It will make whatever it is a little bit easier." She responded, sighing softly. She had to fight to keep from snapping at the younger woman. She knew she wasn't alright and she knew Kate knew that. They were both healers, after all.

"You wouldn't understand!" She snapped, clenching her hand but still not pulling away from Alexis.

"Try me."

She took a breath, trying to force herself to be calm, to not give in and just tell her. How could she understand? "Damien, he...he tried to.."She grimaced, biting her lip hard enough that she tasted blood.

"He jumped out of at tree, but he wasn't harm. From what Charlie said, you caught him." She replied quietly, tilting her head slightly. From what she had understood, Damien had been playing. He hadn't been trying to harm herself. So it didn't make sense as to why she was so upset.

"No. He was trying to fly. And I stopped him. But I shouldn't have, not like that. Not suppose to use magic like that." She flinched when a hand gently gripped her other wrist.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment, suddenly understanding exactly where this was going. After all, she had done her research. She should have had this talk with Kate the moment she had realized her abilities. She had hoped, however, that Tim or Eric would handle it before she had to. "Kate. You protected Damien from harm. I'd say that was a great way to use your gift."

"Curse." She corrected, shaking her head. It wasn't a gift. But how did Alexis know? And why had she kept her so long?

She hated that there were magicals who thought elemental magic was wrong, dangerous. It wasn't, not if it was used properly. "Only if you let it be." She responded, meeting shocked eyes when they flew to hers. "Do you know, I thought my emphatic magic was a curse for the longest time. I shouted that at Tim one morning and he told me it was only a curse if I let it be. You have elemental magic. That isn't a curse, Kate. There are mages would who love to have your abilities."

"At least you had other emphatic mages. Beauxbatons had courses on elemental magic, for those without the natural abilities and even had classes for those born with this gifts. I wasn't allow to take either of them. And even then, all the other students were water and earth, the common elemental gifts. I was still a freak." She snapped, closing her eyes for a brief moment. The headmistress had people like her to teach her, but she had had to teach herself control. How to use her magic, how to shape it. And the amount of wands she had broke!

"What did they do to you?" She asked softly. She was a mind healer, so the outbursts and anger didn't surprise or shock her. She knew only a little about the hell Kate, who was magic-born, had gone through but that was enough for her to know how hard the younger woman's life had been.

"The first time I flew, they had...they threw.. out a window. A window. I was seven, Alexis. Seven. They decided that I, that I'm.. a freak. I'm a freak. So I couldn't take runes or elemental magic or any of those classes. " She forced herself to take a deep breath, trying to calm herself before she started sobbing. Because Damien had brought those memories back, the windows she was thrown out of, the roofs she was pushed off...The child had brought it all back.

She didn't hesitated, gently tugging the younger woman into her arms and hugging her tightly. She had to force down her anger that Kate had suffered so. No wonder she was afraid of her own shadow, if she had been taught to fear her own magic. "I am so sorry that they did that to you. They were wrong. You are not a freak. You have a different magical talent, that's all. It's okay. I got you Kate. I got you." She murmured softly, stroking her hand down the other woman's back.

She grasped tightly to the woman hugging her, craving the physical affection she had been denied for so long, the rune stone still gripped in her hand. She closed her eyes, finally letting the tears fall, burying her face in Alexis' shoulder.

"I got you."She whispered, tightening her hold on the younger woman. She wished that she could have protected Kate from everything that had been done to her. She couldn't change the past, but she could protect her in the future. No one would harm the other woman while she was around, not it she could help it.

-x-

He frowned in concentration, eyes focused on the simmering potion. He carefully dropped in the last ingredient, stirring swiftly. Severus stepped back, setting a timer. The potion had to simmer for a few hours before he could bottle it. This large batch of children's sleeping potion would hopefully last until school started back. It wasn't dreamless, which was dangerous to give to children and teenagers in large quantities. This was a potion he had invented, which would still let the child dream but would prevent nightmares and help ease a frightened child to sleep. This was one of the potions he had created to get his Mastery and one that they were extremely low on. He glanced to his left, to the teenage boy slowly stirring a potion in concentration. He could tell from a glance that it wouldn't work. But his apprentice needed to find that out for himself.

The red head growled, fighting the urge to throw down his stirring rod. The last time he had done that, he had felt the effects of a stinging spell for an hour. But he was frustrated, because it wasn't changing. If his process had worked, the potion should have changed by now. He could either admit defeat on this attempt and start over, or keep going and hope that it would react correctly further on. He didn't want to start over, again. He had been working on this stupid potion for three days and he still couldn't figure out the ingredients he could replace with a different one and have a stronger potion. Bain was beginning to think that there wasn't a way to do this, that it was a test of his patience and he was failing. He had to write up every attempt, even if it failed, and why it did or didn't worked. He was very close to giving up. He frowned down at his parchment, adding the next ingredient on his list, stirring it for a moment before pulling back when it started hissing.

He sighed softly, vanishing the potion with a wave of his wand. "Do I want to know why you thought that would work?" He inquired, not bothering to turn away from his own work. That was Bain's third attempted today, the younger man still hadn't figured out how to solve the problem he had given him.  
He grumbled a couple of choice words under his breath, extinguishing the flame under his cauldron and moving to clean up the counter top he had used for his ingredients. He wasn't going to do it again, he was done with that potion. "Can I brew something that actually works?"

"That depends. Have you even opened the book I gave you?" He answered, turning and catching the teenager's eyes.

He huffed, looking away from his master quickly. He had but it didn't matter. He couldn't read Latin, not that he would tell Severus that. The man wouldn't believe him anyway. No one ever had; he had only told one teacher but that was enough.

That answered that then. No wonder the teenager was struggling so much. "Read the introduction and chapter three, and then you can brew some burn salve for me. " He instructed, gesturing toward the chair at one of the work tables before turning back to the bubbling cauldron of a pain potion, this one targeted more to headaches and minor pains.

"No. I'd rather brew." What would the man think of him if he told him he couldn't read Latin? What would Alexis think?

"Excuse me?"

"I'm not reading that stupid book." He flushed, knowing he sounded childish but he didn't see any other way to avoid this. Because he should be able to read Latin, he was a wizard after all.

He blinked, forcing himself to take a deep breath, checking his potion to make sure it was simmering before turning to face the teenage. Severus tilted his head, raising an eyebrow. The boy was blushing and he didn't sound angry, but upset. Something was going on with his apprentice and he was going to get to the bottom of it. It wasn't like Bain to fuss over being instructed to read or write something. Sure, the teenager grumbled when he gave him another set of worksheets but he still grumbled when he had to use similar worksheets to improve his potions. "That stupid book is important for anyone pursuing a career in potions and herbology to read. It will certainly help you with your current problem." He replied calmly, frowning when the boy turned a brighter red.

Oh. But he couldn't read it! He tried to push his frustration down, tried to force himself to not get angry. But he was getting mad because he couldn't do it! It didn't matter how hard he tried, he couldn't read it! He huffed again, clenching his hands into tight fists, digging nails into soft flesh.

He turned, casting a stasis charm over the cauldrons he was actively brewing before turning back to the tall red head. "Bain. Tell me what is wrong." He requested softly, letting his concern show in his eyes. He wasn't quite sure what had caused the clear anger and embarrassment he could see in the teen's face, but he was going to get to the bottom up it. He had been having Bain meditate with him before they brewed, so that the boy learned to control his emotions under the pressure of brewing.

He bit his lip, shaking his head. He glanced toward the stupid book before quickly looking away.

So the book was part of it. Of all the books he had given the boy, what was different about this one? What made the teenager not want to even try? "What's going on, Bain? Can you tell me why you are upset?" He requested finally, when the boy remained silent still.

He closed his eyes, clenching his fists tight for a moment. "I can't...I can't read it."

The teenager couldn't read it? What was so difficult about this text? It wasn't that different from the other ones, except.."You can't read Latin?" It never occurred to him that Bain couldn't read Latin. While Alexis was making Latin classes mandatory for all first years and any other students who needed them, he knew that Filius taught all of his students Latin, much like he did.

"No sir."

"There's no reason to be ashamed, Bain. I know plenty of people who can't read Latin." But usually not one of his or Filius' students. That did make several things suddenly more clear. No wonder the boy struggled when he put the Latin names for plants on the worksheets and instructions.

" I took the Latin lessons sir. I can speak it fine and once someone says the spells, I can figure them out. I just can't read or write it." He explained, eyes darting up under the mess that was his hair before darting away.

Almost all of his lessons and class text books were in English, although parts of the Seventh year one were in Latin. But Severus knew that there was at least one teacher who had expected students to read completely in Latin from third year on, although they weren't required to write in it outside of technical terms. "How did you pass Transfiguration?"

He flushed again, knowing that his answer was going to sound really childish. "My roommate. He would read aloud every reading we had and he taught me to write the technical terms. He has been trying to teach me to read it for years but...I'm dyslexic. It is hard enough for me to read in English, much less a language where all the letters jumble together. He's mundane-born as well, so he understood. Any texts we had in Latin, he reads them to me when we are in our room at night. He's not here and I couldn't get the translation spell to stick." He replied, finally making eye contact with the older man. His roommate also happened to be one of his closest friends. The other boy wasn't there that summer and he was glad for that, it meant he had a good family, but there was no one to read it to him and he couldn't ask anyone. Elijah would have laughed and Teddy wouldn't have understood the technical terms or more difficult passages, because he wasn't at that reading level yet. Granted, he wasn't either, in any language. But he did try.

"Why didn't you tell anyone, Bain?" He questioned quietly, sighing softly. That explained a lot more than it didn't. The child had dyslexia, he should have had a tutor. He hadn't seen in it the teenager's file and he knew Filius would have mentioned it when he had taken the boy as an apprentice. Because Bain's reading was probably not up to year level, which would explain why if the teenager read quickly, he didn't seem to comprehend any of what he had read. He had repeatedly had to make the teen read instructions and texts again, so he was going to have to make him slow down when he read.

"I did. I told the bitch." He shrugged, grimacing at the look Severus shot him. "McGonagall. I told her in third year and she refused to believe me. She kept giving me zeros so Zac started reading to me."

"You could have told your Head of House, you could have told me. There were so many other professors who would have believed you and given you the resources you needed." He did understand though. This was an abused child who had told something he kept hidden and when it wasn't believed by one person, he doubted anyone else would believe him.

He shrugged again, shuffling his feet slightly. "My father told me it made me weak, so he refused to let my primary school help me. He even moved me schools when they started asking questions. I didn't think anyone would believe me." He whispered, shaking his head. He had been moved schools often and now that he was older, he had figured out why. Back then he had just believed the lies that he was too stupid for any of those schools.

"He was wrong." Severus stated firmly, locking dark eyes with blue. "This text will not, unfortunately, hold a translating spell. I'll see if I can order an English copy. Until then, I will read it to you." He held up a hand to stop the teenager before he could protest. "I am your Master and this is my decision."

"But sir! You don't have to do that! I can get by." He protested, face still red. He didn't want the older man thinking he was stupid or a baby! He could manage. He shouldn't have even told him that Zac read to him. Wasn't there a spell to do the same?

He sighed softly, not bothering to block out the thoughts the young man was projecting, loudly at that. "You aren't stupid, Bain. Nor do I believe you to be anything but the talented, intelligent you man that you are." He stated calmly, shaking his head at the glare. "You were projecting. Now, which language does Zac read to you in?" He added, raising an eyebrow as the teenager huffed. Didn't he realize how young pouting made him look? It was almost adorable in a way. At least the boy felt safe enough with him to pout and grumble, to be a teenager.

"English."

Damn. That was an extremely good friend. The boy had to translate it and then read it out loud. At his age, he was comfortable doing this, even if it might take a little longer. But Bain's friend wasn't anywhere close to his age and the child had started reading to him in English, from Latin, at thirteen. "That's a good friend you have there."

"I know, sir. It helps that we trade. I help him with potions and herbology and he reads to me." Bain gave a slight smile, before glancing toward the text.  
He nodded, summoning the book and the stand he used for his notes and recipes. "Can you listen and brew?" He inquired, flipping to the appropriate page before finiting the stasis spell.

"Yes sir."

"Start on the burn salve then. The recipe is on that table." Although the boy should know it by now. It was only the fourth or so batch they had brewed this summer. Hopefully this last batch would get their stock high enough to get them through to the Winter Solstice. "The art of brewing can only be achieved with use of the proper ingredients and techniques. A strong understanding of plants and how to properly prepare them to the highest quality will be discussed here..." He read, allowing his soft tone to carry as his carefully prepared ingredients for one of his own potions. He would have to test the boy's reading levels later but for now, he would just read aloud. After all, it wouldn't hurt him to remember some of this again.

-x-

Elijah grumbled, not looking at the counselor he had just walked into. He had just convinced his friends he was going to eat dinner in Alexis' quarters so he could finish some of his work, which was partly true. He did still have summer work to finish, although not much. But he knew that Paul would not believe him. The counselors were watching him so closely at meals, it was frustrating. So he had just decided to skip them, to avoid their concern.

"Where are you going, Elijah?" Paul asked quietly, fighting back a sigh. He had been heading to dinner himself, where the teenager should be, but he wasn't surprised to run into the teen. Many of the teenagers were fighting ingrained, bad habits; there were a few who skipped meals, a few they watched closely to make sure that they were actually trying to eat. Elijah was one of those few.

"To Alexis' quarters. Homework." He shrugged, still avoiding eye contact. It was the truth though. He had been planning to try his homework. He only had one essay left but it was for a class he hated passionately.

He raised an eyebrow, sensing the truth in that statement. But he also knew that there was more to it than that. "Have you ate today?"

"Yes sir." Robert had forced him to eat a banana half way through the morning. There was a downside to having a boyfriend who cared about him.

He glanced around them, sighing this time. This was not the place for this conversation, it wasn't one to have an a corridor. "Why don't you come to my office for a little bit?" He offered quietly, quirking a brow at the teenager. He could connect the dots of what the child wasn't say. "I won't make you eat." He added, seeing the hesitance on the boy's face. He wouldn't, either. They couldn't really force the child to eat. That didn't mean, however, that he wouldn't give him a nutritional supplement.

He hesitated, thinking it over for a moment. If he went to Paul's office, even if the man tried to get him to talk about it, he would have a valid excuse for missing dinner when Jake or Alexis asked, and they would ask. "Okay." He shrugged finally, moving to follow the older man. He was coming to trust Paul, the man was his mindhealer after, so if he said he wouldn't force him to eat, he believed him.

Paul held open the door to his office, gesturing for the boy to enter. He shut the door behind them, moving to sit in one of the armchairs, away from his desk. He had found that children tended to open up more if they weren't separated from him by a desk. It created a distance between him and his patients, a distance that made reaching them harder. But sitting in a nearby armchair, facing them without an obstacle between them, created more of a connection, of a safe space. A few of the teenage boys had finally started seeking him out, although not this particular child.

"You're missing supper." Elijah stated quietly, dropping into his usual armchair. He didn't like that the older man was not going to eat because of him.

He shrugged slightly, tilting his head to study the teenager. He had realized, recently, that Elijah was not completely emotionally dark, that the child did allow himself to feel. He just didn't normally show emotions in front of other. Like many of the other teens, he hid behind a mask that he had perfected over years of abuse. But slowly the teen was dropping that mask. He could see the concern the boy had for him, after all. Worry and regret that he was missing a meal because of him. If only Elijah cared about himself as much as he did others. "Would you like tea?"

He nodded, giving a slight smile when the man ordered his favourite tea. A tea tray popped into the room and he waited until the healer had taken a cup before pouring himself a cup. There were some teas that he just loved. And a basket of biscuits and cookies had come with the tea.

"Easy on the sugar." He admonished, watching the blond dump teaspoon after teaspoon into his mug. At least the boy was getting some calories, even if they weren't the right kind calories. "You don't have to worry about me, Elijah. As I've told all of you boys, I always have time for you. Plus, the elves always save a plate or two in case one of us gets called away."

"I just hate that you have to miss supper because of me." Elijah shrugged, dunking a biscuit into his tea before taking a small bite of it. He knew it wasn't the type of food they wanted him to eat, but it was food even if he knew he couldn't eat much of it.

"I am choosing to eat a late supper so that I can spend some time talking with you. It is my choice Elijah." He responded firmly, taking a sip of his own tea. While he could push the child to talk about why he wouldn't eat or what was on his mind, he knew that it would be better to let Elijah direct their conversation. Because that was what it was, a conversation. Although he would make notes in Elijah's file later if he needed to, this wasn't a session. The boy would have bolted if he had tried that.

He frowned, furrowing his brows in thought. He had so rarely had an adult who wanted to spent time with him, much less spend time talking to him before this summer. It still felt so new. "I think I finally convinced Robert that he couldn't hurt me." He remarked, watching the healer closely to gauge his response.

"That must have taken a lot of fast talking." He replied quietly, fighting down a chuckle. He had a feeling that it was Bain who had finally convinced Robert to at least try, not Elijah. Because he had heard and seen many of their interactions, and Robert was always so careful with the younger teen.

He shrugged, dunking his biscuit down in his tea before taking another tentative bite. "It was worth it."

"You really like him, don't you?"

"I've had a crush on him since March but he was so out of my league." Elijah blushed, not looking at the other man. Robert had been so far out of reach; in a different year, a different house, a different social group. But here, all of the teenagers were in the same boat. They weren't separated by age or house or preference.

He did smile then, watching the teenager. He had known that the two had feelings for each other, anyone with eyes could tell that, but he hadn't been sure if it was a fling or if the two wanted to be more serious than that. He was pretty certain now that it was the latter. " You moved in different social circles but that doesn't mean he was out of your league. From what I've seen, he likes you just as much." Better, Robert's temper was much easier contained when Elijah was around.

"I know that but sometimes it just feels...I don't know." He stopped, chewing on his lip for a moment.

"It feels like your not good enough?" Paul inquired, not unkindly. At the boy's shocked eyes and rapid nod, he gave a soft sigh. "I remember that feeling well.  
There was this girl, when I was about your age, named Sally Briggs. She was so kind and funny and pretty, but I never got up the nerve to talk to her, because I felt that I wasn't good enough for her." He had an idea, now, that he might know partly why the teenager struggled to eat. Besides the obvious control it gave him. "Do you skip meals because you are afraid of losing Robert?" He asked quietly, catching the boy's eyes when they darted up to him.

How could he possibly know that? He could control whether he ate or not, it gave him power and control over his life. But it had gotten a bit worse because he was afraid Robert wouldn't like him if he got fatter. That he had to be slimmer and built, otherwise the next hot body might catch the older boy's attention. "Sometimes." He answered finally, still staring at the older man.

That was more of an answer than he thought he would get. But it was one that wasn't unexpected. He had figured part of Elijah's eating disorder stemmed from a need to control something, anything, and from that answer, he was almost sure he was right. He had also thought it might come from body image distortion. Honestly, almost all eating disorders had a combination of both. He was sure now that Elijah did have an eating disorder and wasn't just having issues with eating. His body language was practically screaming it at him, particularly when he asked about Robert. " I know it's hard not feeling good enough for someone, that feeling really sucks. But Elijah, Robert wouldn't be with you if he didn't like you for who you are." He commented quietly, taking a sip of his tea when the teen looked away.

"It's...It's so hard." He muttered, swinging his legs back and forth into the armchair.

"I know it is."

"Do we have to talk about this?"

"Not unless you want to." Paul replied slowly, knowing that the conversation was probably finished. He wouldn't get much else out of the boy about his eating disorder or boyfriend, unless Elijah decided to share it.

He bit his lip, thinking for a moment. He really didn't want to talk about it anymore. Even if Paul was just talking to him as an older friend and not as his counselor. "Can we talk about football?"

"As long as it's not American."

"Gods no. " He shuddered, shaking his head. Elijah couldn't stand what the Americans called football. It was more like rugby but with much more padding and it took forever.

He laughed, grinning at the younger boy. "Football it is. I personally think the German team is going to take the cup this year."

"Not if Sweden has any choice in the matter!"

-x-


	42. Chapter 42

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gets a bit dark in places, fair warning. X's are scene breaks. Words in - - are signed. Enjoy and as always, use your words

-x-

She sighed softly, glancing toward the floo once more. They were waiting for Lucius. He had floo'd Eric with news about Derek's mother but had wanted to discuss it as a group, with his counselor and headmistress there. Apparently Lucius didn't want to say it more than once, which told her it was bad. She glanced toward Henry, frowning slightly. She knew why she was avoiding Eric but she wasn't quite sure why Henry was. When Eric had floo'd in, they both had gone silent. Alexis just now realized that Henry had also, and was still, avoiding looking at Eric.

Eric glanced between the two younger healers, shaking his head. If it wasn't for Lucius news, he had a feeling both would still be avoiding him. He had given Henry more time than he normally would have, hoping the healer would come back to him on his own. But since that clearly wasn't going to happen, he would have to take matters into his own hands. He just hoped the two younger healers could make it through this without losing control of their magic. Because he had know Lucius since the young man was not more than a teenager, before Narcissa became Alexis' tutor. Before their son was born. He had been Lucius' healer when the man had first escaped the horrors he had been forced into and he knew that look in Lucius' eyes quite well. Something was seriously wrong. "Lucius?" He questioned, when the floo went off and the blond stepped into Alexis' office.

He ran a hand through his hair, eyes glinting for a moment. "My sources found Derek's mother." He stated quietly, fighting to keep his tone emotionless, eyes going to the young headmistress. He knew her well enough to know that she would want to be the one who told the child and his cousins. But he also knew that her first respond was going to be rage. Because while Alexis had not had loving, caring parents, parents she would care about, she would be angry that that was snatched from one of her students.

"I take it, it's not good." Eric commented, following his eyes to Alexis.

"Just tell us, Lucius. And then I have another matter to discuss with you." She stated finally, meeting his eyes for a long moment. She had this feeling, no matter how much she wished she was wrong, that she already knew what he was going to say.

"We found her body buried on Derek's father's land. My team called in a mundane team and we are working with them. As it stands Derek's father will never be able to gain custody of him or his cousins. The detective I work with said that they had used a machine to scan the land and they were almost certain there were more bodies there. From the state of his mother's body, they have concluded that he beat her to death. It seems that his brother might also be involved, at least in the aftermath. The detective is charging him with murder." He stated quietly, closing his eyes for a moment. As soon as his team had called him, he had apparated over and then had his team contacted the police, a detective and his team that they worked with regularly. After he had finished soothing the younger members of his team and had spoken with the older, more experienced ones, he had gone with the detective to where the body was. It had not been a pleasant sight.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "How long?"

"The medical examiner estimated that she had been dead for at least six years." He responded quietly. It never got easier, his job. He had a feeling he was going to need to floo his mind healer that night, so he could sleep without seeing those bodies in his dreams.

"Derek said he last saw her when he was nine, almost ten. He went to school with his cousins one morning and when they came home, she was gone. He just turned fifteen." Henry remarked quietly, forcing down the anger he could feel. He had hoped that they would find Derek's mother alive and well, that she had escaped the abuse and was trying to get the children. He wasn't sure how the teenager would take the news but he had a feeling they would be seeing more of Derek's anger in the coming days. There was something else that was bothering him though. Those other bodies they had found... "Did they identify any of the other bodies?"

Lucius blinked, frowning slightly. "When I left our two teams had just started the retrieval process." Unfortunately, although the other team knew about magic, they had to do it the mundane way to keep from damaging the bodies, since they weren't sure how long the bodies had been there. He raised an eyebrow at the sudden ringing noise, pulling his phone from his pocket. Filius had worked some magic so that his phone was now charmed to work in magically dense areas. It was an older model which helped. The newer, higher tech ones still didn't work in dense magical areas.

"You have a phone?" Alexis frowned, tilting her head. Her office had a small landline that they used to communicate with mundane parents but she hadn't thought a phone that small would work surrounded by so much magic. As long as the older mundane-borns didn't start bringing their cell phones with them to school, it wasn't an issue.

"Filius charmed it." Lucius explained glancing at the name. "Excuse me for a moment." He moved away from where the healers had been sitting, flipping the phone open. "Lucius speaking."

"It's Mack, Lucius. We were right about the bodies. So far our teams had unearthed three and they are following the infrared." The detective sighed, eyes going to the younger members of both of their teams. They both ran their teams the same way, they both cared for the people they had picked and they both only picked the best. His eyes darted to where he heard retching and he waved to one of the older ones. The woman looked toward him and he gestured toward the younger man.

Charlotte nodded, moving to the vomiting young man. He was one of Lucius' but not the first to get sick that day. She had just calmed Anne, one of their's, down. Sometimes she had to wonder if Mack kept her around because she was good at mothering, particularly those who hadn't had mothers.

"Do we know who they are yet?"

"Not yet. The M.E has ages so far but- LEWIS! Don't you dare do that or your ass is mine!" He shouted, eyes locking on the dark-skinned young man. He moved toward him quickly, even though his shout had caught the man's attention, as well as the rest of his colleagues. Of all the times to take foolish, stupid risks..

"It was just an idea!" He huffed, blushing slightly. Lewis glanced at the snorting wizard standing near him, growling slightly at the man with darker skin than his. They were close in age and they both seemed to attract trouble. It wasn't the first time they had worked together after all.

"Tell me Kingsley and Lewis haven't gotten themselves in another sticky situation." He requested quietly, closing his eyes for a moment. Kingsley was going to be the death of him. The man was a hell of an auror but he seemed to struggle with not taking serious risks when they weren't needed.

"Not yet. As I was saying, we have age estimations. At least one infant and the other two are somewhere between twelve and fifteen." Mack sighed softly, turning toward where Chris was at the man's shout. "I got to go, Chris just found another body. Come back when you can, I have a feeling we will be here for a while." If it was another child, he might have to call his psychologist later that day.

He closed his phone, taking a deep breath before turning back around to face the healers in the room and moving to sit down. He dropped into the nearest armchair, running a hand over his face. "They just found a fifth body. The three others they identified are all children. They haven't ID'd them yet and I don't have information on how long they have been in the ground." Lucius remarked quietly, shaking his head. At least three children buried on that land. How could anyone not have noticed this, not have known that something was wrong in that house.

Henry closed his eyes, feeling the rage flood his body. "Their cousins." He whispered, clenching his fists tightly and trying to force the anger back down. It wasn't working.

She frowned, feeling the energy in the air before turning silver eyes toward Henry. The anger on his face was shocking. The man had iron control of his emotions, he had never looked like he was going to explode before. "Breathe Henry." She ordered quietly, sighing when he ignored her. "Henry!"

He opened his eyes, turning cold blue eyes to meet hers. "Yes?" He growled, trying to force down the anger again.

"Take a deep breath and hold it in. Good. Now release the breath and let your anger flow out with it. Deep breath. Release." She instructed firmly, meeting his eyes as he obeyed. She had a sudden fear that she knew exactly why Henry was avoiding Eric. And if she was right, she almost felt bad for Henry. Almost.  
He took a few more deep breaths, listening to her calm tone as he let his anger dissipate. He had known that Alexis would be a good healer for him, that she could handle him and all his emotions when his shield fell. But he also knew that it would interfere too much with their work. He would find another healer when he had time. "I apologize. Derek mentioned once that they had cousins who were sent to boarding school and decided not to come back. He was too young to remember their names but he remembered that there used to be a lot of people in that house." He explained, keeping his anger out of his voice. The things done to those children! It just made his so anger and he couldn't lock it down for some reason.

"I'll wait to tell Derek and Ariana until we know who else is buried out there." Alexis stated after a long moment of silence.

"I will update you as soon as I know something more." Lucius replied quietly, meeting Alexis' eyes. He knew that he had to get back soon but he had enough time that he could discuss whatever it was that Alexis needed to.

Eric nodded, standing stiffly and stretching. There was nothing they could do right now and he did have a healer he needed to have a long conversation with. He move toward Henry, resting a tight hand on the younger man's shoulder before he could disappear into the floo. "My office, now." He ordered softly, so that only Henry could hear him. He was certain that if this went on much longer, Henry would crumble. His emotions were fighting him for control, this just proved what he already knew.

Henry nodded, raising an eyebrow at the older man. If Eric didn't floo with him, he could put this off a little longer. Just until he felt in control again. Just another day or two. He pulled forward, feeling the man loosen his grip. He stepped into the floo before the healer could step beside him, letting it whisk him away.

He better as hell had gone to his office or they would be having a much longer conversation. He had talked to Henry's last healer after all, and his old master.  
He knew exactly what Henry was doing.

"Eric?"

The dark skinned man paused, turning his head toward the young headmistress. So she was speaking to him then. "Yes?"

"If he needs a healer..." She trailed off when he nodded, shaking her head. "Stubborn man." She muttered, flinching when he shot her a look.

"Reminds me of someone else I know." He replied softly, sighing when her eyes dropped. "We will talk later and I will remind him that that option is still on the table." He added, waiting for her nod before stepping through the floo and into his empty office. He had a rogue healer to track down, again. It never got any easier.

"What was it you needed to discuss?" Lucius inquired, knowing that he needed to redirect her attention to him. He wasn't sure what was going on between her and Eric but he had seen enough of teenage Alexis to know that face. The younger woman didn't realize how young it made her look, he was sure, or she wouldn't still scowl like that.

She shook her head to clear it, turning her eyes to him. "Through my connections, I have found two more girls who might be able to identify his voice." She stated quietly, moving toward her desk to where she kept that specific file.

"That's five then." He sighed, running a hand over his face. Five girls, that they knew of, who had been sexually assaulted at school in the last few years by the same boy.

"Six. There's one.."She hesitated, biting her lip for a moment. She couldn't colour his view on the case, if the girls and families knew that one girl had recognized her attacker, they might be persuaded to say the same, even if they weren't sure and for this case to succeed, they had to be sure or it could get thrown out.

"You have a name." He had worked in this business long enough to know what she was trying not to say. "Don't tell me the name. Will that girl be willing to participate in the blind voice line up?"

"I have persuaded her parents to not move on it yet, they had wanted to immediately take legal action. With the help of her healer, we convinced them to wait and see if the other girls identified the same boy, as it would give all of us a much stronger case and we might be able to avoid putting the girls through a trial. She's willing to do the lineup, she just wants it over with." She responded, making a copy of a piece of parchment before offering it to him. "Here's the contact information for all of the girls parents and healers." She was curious if he would notice the same thing she had, if he would catch it.

Lucius glanced at the list, going to put it in his pocket before stopped and reading over it again. "He has a type, then." A very specific type and an unusual one. It wasn't that all of the girls had been between twelve and fourteen when assaulted that caught his eye. All of these girls were from old wizarding families. Well-connected wizarding families. Not a single one of them had a parent who was mundane or mundane-born and they were all from wizarding families who had been around for generations.

"I've seen the pictures of the girls, as well as the damage done to them, and none of them look anything alike. He isn't targeting them because of their appearance, Lucius."

"He's targeting them because of their status. But why? What could a teenage boy possibly gain by targeting well-connected girls from good families?"

She sighed, shaking her head. "Exactly what he wants. He's hurting those girls to hurt their families. Many of them are only children and the heir of their families. Think about it, Lucius. Individuals who have experienced sexual assault need help to recover, to put it behind them. These girls have the resources, if their families believe them, to get the help they need. But without those resources, they could turn to alcohol, drugs, self harm...any number of things to try to control what they feel. He is psychologically harming these girls as well. Many of them had to be pulled from school and enrolled somewhere else. He is trying to cause the greatest harm he can to these families through their girls." She hesitated, tapping her fingers for a moment. She wasn't quite sure about her next theory and she knew it would be very hard to find someone willing to talk if she was right. Because what if the boy was really targeting the families and had decided to target young boys as well. If there was nothing sexual at all about what he was doing to these girls, if it was purely because they had something he didn't and he wanted to take it away from them, he could cross genders. "If its not about sex..."

"We won't know that until we identify and interrogate the boy." He responded softly, knowing where she was heading with that. If that was the case, they would know when they talked to the boy who had harmed these girls. He had a feeling, though, that it was about sex as much as anything else. Because there were other ways to hurt these children and their families, besides sexually assaulting them. "We will get this boy, Alexis. I am going to set up the lineup times as soon as I speak with their healers. We should be able to get it done before school starts back."

She nodded, grey eyes meeting his for a long moment. "Thank you. I know you have work to get back to."

He shook his head, grimacing. He knew there would be more bodies when he got back to his team and it never got easier. He had seen a lot of bad in his life and line of work but the bodies of children still greatly upset him.

Alexis gently rested a hand on his shoulder, sending the smallest amount of calming magic into him. "I know it's hard, Lucius, and it's awful. But you have your team and they need you. You can do this."She encouraged quietly, having seen the defeat in his eyes. It was hard, what he did, especially when there were children involved. "I have some lavender oil that will help both your team and the mundane team. It's a mundane product and it has a calming effect that won't affect how you do your job." While she could give him actual calming potions, they wouldn't work on the mundane team as well as the lavender oil would and they might effect how the magical team worked. She rummaged in her desk drawer for a few minutes, finally finding the vial. She took hold of his wrist and carefully applied a few drops of lavender to it before gently rubbing his wrists together. It wasn't as immediate but it did work for longer.

He gave the young woman a half smile, taking the vial when she offered it. She was a healer through and through, he knew that it was against her nature to let him leave upset or emotional. Because while he would be upset and very emotional later, he couldn't be while he was working a case. He had to be clear-headed, otherwise that was how people got hurt and he had a team to lead. "I'll make sure I put it on everyone, although explaining it to Mack will be fun." He stated quietly, wrapping an arm around her in a brief hug, before nodding and stepping through the floo. He couldn't apparate from Hogwarts after all.

-x-

"Lila...what happened to Lani's head?" Mia questioned, signing as she spoke. The adults were encouraging her and Emma, who had quickly picked up sign language, to speak when they signed, so that Lila could connect sounds to words. According to Alexis, the smaller girl was a lot more comfortable with them than she was with the adults. She leaned back against a pillow, carefully braiding her own doll's hair

The small blond shrugged, pulling the doll's blue-haired head out of her pocket before shoving it back in. They were sitting on Emma's bed, which Lucas had widen so that all three of them could fit on it.

Emma frowned, glancing at the smallest girl. Lucas had raised the bars around her bed, so there was no chance Mia could fall off if she got jarred too much. Lila, on the other hand, wiggled from one end of the bed to the other and back again. "Did it break off, Lila? I can fix it." She offered, furrowing her brows when the preteen shook her head. "You don't want me to fix it?"

She shook her head again, twirling the doll around. It didn't bother her that her doll's head was in her pocket. She had put it there for a reason when she had taken the head off. She moved her doll toward Emma's, making it dance for a moment before traveling it back up the bed to Mia.

Mia meet Emma's eyes for a long moment, confused. Why would Lila not want Emma to fix her doll? Lila loved her doll, she had told them it was her first doll. While she didn't know the exact horrors Lila and Emma had gone through, she had talked to her parents. They had explained that the children at Hogwarts for the summer had to be removed from their homes because their parents were unfit and that sometimes, the other girls might do or say something that she didn't understand. If that happened, she could just support and comfort her friends and talk to her parents when she got home. She was still coming to the school every other day so that the healers could keep an eye on her healing. And while she was in pain, the potion Lucas had given her, after he had helped her onto the bed, had helped a lot. "We don't have to play dolls if you don't want to, Lila." She remarked finally, tilting her head when the younger girl merely shrugged. Lila had yet to say anything to either of them that afternoon. Something felt off.

Rose knocked on the open door way, holding a tray of snacks and juice for the young preteens. "I thought ya'll might enjoy a snack." She stated cheerfully, stepping into the room and setting it on a movable table. She moved it beside the bed, turning to look at the three silent girls. They were never this quiet. Emma and Mia looked almost concerned. "What's wrong?"

Emma hesitated, glancing at Rose before turning her eyes back to Lila. The younger girl kept making her doll dance in a circle. Usually Lila was happy and excited to be with them and she always tried to joined their play, even if sometimes she wasn't sure how to play. "I don't know." She replied quietly, meeting  
Mia's eyes once more before glancing at Rose again. Maybe the older girl could help them figure out what was wrong with Lila.

She frowned, spotting Lila's doll. "Do you want me to fix your doll, Lila?" She questioned, tilting her head at how fast the child shook her head. "Hey Lila, can you look at me please?" She coaxed quietly. It took a minute but Lila finally looked over at her and she had to fight down a gasp. The girl's eye looked bruised... "Emma, go get Lucas please." She ordered quietly, crouching so that she was on the child's level. "Where's your doll's head Lila? In your pocket? Why is it there?" She focused on the little girl for a moment, not wanting to touch her. The child had tapped her pocket before looking away from her. She had a bad feeling about this.

"But Rose! I can't." Emma protested, glancing toward the door. She was allowed out into the infirmary now but with her bracelet on the door would shock her. She knew it was to keep her from getting upset and going off somewhere, because her magic would lash out, it didn't matter where she was. But she couldn't take the bracelet off, an adult had to.

That was right. She turned quickly, gently taking hold of the small wrist and removing the band from it. "Now go please!"

She nodded, scrambling over the bed railing and out the door. "Lucas!"

She snorted, shaking her head. She could have done that but she knew Lucas wasn't in the main infirmary, he was in his office. Doing paperwork, apparently. "Mia, can you scoot as far back as you can for me?" She asked quietly, lowering one bar so she could reach the younger girl easily if necessary. "Lila, can you tell me what's going on?"

She shook her head, gritting her teeth for a moment before smacking her doll into the bed. She couldn't talk about it. She wasn't allowed to. Not that he had said that, but that had always been the rules at home. She knew it had been an accident, though. He hadn't know she was there at first, she had followed him. Because Derek wouldn't tell her what was wrong with Aria. So she was mad at both of them.. She slammed her doll down again, hissing and trying to pull away when a gentle hand took hers.

"Lila? It's Lucas. Can you look at me for a moment?" He inquired calmly, keeping hold of her wrist. He had known, when Emma had come barreling into his office that something was wrong. The only word the out of breath child had said was Lila's name. And the fact that Rose was watching the child so carefully, he had known something was up. To see the child act like this though, he had an idea what might be happening but he wasn't quite sure why.  
She jerked, trying to pull her hand away. She kicked her leg out, not bothering to look where she was kicking. At the squeak, she glanced at her friends, realizing suddenly that she had hit Mia instead of Lucas. She didn't want to hurt Mia. Mia was her friend! Mia and Emma were her first friends! She didn't want to harm them! She didn't want to be her parents! She screeched, slamming her free hand into Lucas. "IEEK!"

"Rose, let's get Mia and Emma out of hitting reach." He stated calmly, nodding when the teenager quickly lifted Mia up and placed the girl back into her chair.  
She gestured for the two younger girls to move back toward her. She crouched down, checking Mia for injuries. She then moved so that she was on the preteens level, wrapping an arm around each girl. Both of them looked scared for their friend. "Her eyes, Lucas."

Lucas sat down on the bed, releasing the child's wrist for a moment. When she went to hit him again, he captured both of her wrists, keeping a strong but gentle hold of them. "I know you don't want to talk to me but can you look at me for a minute please?" He requested, ignoring the feet that had started kicking him as the little girl tried to wiggle away. He just kept hold of her wrists, waiting patiently. After several minutes, young eyes met his and he suddenly knew exactly why Rose had called him. Instead of the blue that they normally were, Lila's eyes were almost black and she had the beginnings of a bruise over one eye. "Who hit you, Lila?" He asked softly, grimacing when she kicked him again. He had a feeling this was going to become a full blown kicking and screaming meltdown if he didn't get her settled quickly. Even though the child hadn't been tested yet, he was quite certain the she had autism. He was also certain that she was very upset and frustrated. "I know you are upset but I won't hurt you. I promise." He murmured quietly, using his free hand to pin down the kicking leg. He released it after a moment, wrapping an arm around her waist and quickly lifting the child to sit on his lap. He was going to need bruise balm when this was over. He quickly wrapped one of his legs around hers before catching her flailing hands again. It took a moment but he finally had her restrained so that she wouldn't harm either of them. Now he just had to get the shrieking girl calm. "I need you to calm down, Lila. You are okay. You are safe here." He murmured, keeping his voice low and soothing.

"IEEEK." She shrieked, arching her back and wiggling. She didn't want to calm down! She was angry! Couldn't he understand that? She just want to be left ALONE! She slammed her head back into his chest, giving off another angry shriek.

He sighed softly, letting the smallest amount of calming magic flow into the child, rocking with her to the best of his ability. He winced when her teeth found his arm, being careful to not jerk away. He didn't want to hurt her, after all. "I know you are angry, Lila. But I need you to take a few deep breaths for me." He murmured calmly, keeping hold of the child. She wasn't the first child he had had to restrain to calm down; he had done this enough that her struggles didn't throw him off. He had expected them actually, he just had to be careful that he didn't use too much strength in his holds.

She struggled for a couple minutes more but she was getting tired. And the hold he had on her was almost comforting, it was almost like a bear hug. She gave a softer shriek, stopping her wiggling for a moment, even as she slammed her head into his chest again. She took a deep breath feeling the calm from his magic. But she didn't want to be calm! She wanted to be angry! Because they had promised! But she couldn't fight the calm any longer. She was so very tired. She bumped her head against his chest again, resting it there this time.

He relaxed his grip but didn't release the child just yet. "Can you tell me what's wrong, Lila?" He asked quietly, fighting a smile when she tried to tug her hands from his hold. He knew that wasn't her trying to fight him. That was her wanting to communicate. He shifted her slightly so that he would be able to see her hands better before gently releasing his grip on them.

-Mad-

"Can you tell me why?"

She touched her eye, biting her lip for a moment. -Hurt.- She hated that she couldn't speak like her friends, that she only had a few words she could force her mouth to say. But even if she had the words, she wasn't sure she would have told him the truth. Because she didn't want her cousin to get in trouble, it had been an accident.

He sighed softly, his hand itching to heal the bruising. He had to wait to heal it, he wanted her permission for one, and he needed to know how she got it first. "How did that happen?"He asked quietly, raising an eyebrow when she rapidly shook her head even as her hands told him that she couldn't say. "You can't tell me? That's okay. Can I guess?"

She hesitated, turning that over for a moment. She was still upset with Derek but she didn't want Lucas to get mad at him. That was her job. Aria would get mad if she found out that Derek had hurt her. But it was an accident! Could she talk about accidents? She finally nodded, meeting his eyes for a second before looking away.

"Was it an adult? No? Was it another student?" He waited a moment, frowning when she nodded this time. He had figured it wasn't an adult at the camp but he had needed to sure. He had a feeling he knew who had hit her. "Was it your cousin?"

-Accident! Didn't mean to!- She signed rapidly, glaring at her feet. She knew he really hadn't meant to hurt her, he hadn't even know she was there.

"It was an accident?" Even if it was, he knew she was still angry at her cousin.

She nodded, leaning into him for a moment before pulling back so that she could sign easier. -I follow. Startle. He elbow.- She explained, furrowing her brows for a moment. She had followed him because he wouldn't tell her what was wrong with Aria, even though she kept asking. When he had started hitting a tree, she had touched his back. He had jerked his elbow back into her before spinning around. When Derek saw that it was her, he got upset. Because he had hurt her. But it wasn't on purpose, so maybe he hadn't broken his promise. -Accident.-

"I see. Was he upset that he hurt you?" He inquired, hoping that he was. If it had truly been an accident and she had surprised him, he could see Derek jabbing an elbow back if he thought he was in danger. These children lived flight-or-fight for so much of their lives that it was hard to turn off. He would have to send a message to Derek's counselors and healer, because the child was bond to be very upset he hurt the little girl. He had seen how careful Derek and Ariana were with the young preteen.

She nodded, her eyes fluttering. She was so very tired now and she just wanted to take a nap. -Sleepy-

"It's alright, Lila. You can sleep now. " He murmured, knowing the child was already starting to drift. But she wasn't heavy and he could easily stand with her and move her to another bed. He turned his eyes away from the child on his lap to the two talking quietly to Rose. He knew from their expressions that Rose had calmed them but it wouldn't hurt to reassure them further. "She is okay now." He remarked quietly, giving the preteens a reassuring smile when they turned to him.

"Who hurt her?"

He sighed softly, shaking his head. "She startled her cousin. He didn't know she was behind him and he threw his elbow back. From what Lila said, he didn't mean to harm her." He responded, eyes lingering on Rose for a long moment. He had heard, after all, what she had done to Derek for merely talking to her friend and he didn't need a vengeful teenager going after him for an accident.

Emma nodded, glancing at the sleeping younger girl for a moment. She understood being startled and reacting on instinct, after all. That was how she had ended up here, as she was remembering more and more of what happened now. "Lila can sleep in my bed. If you'll enlarge the chair, I decided to show Mia some of my school books." She commented quietly, moving away from Rose and toward the armchair. They were getting used to Lila's reactions, after all, even if they still caught them off guard sometimes. And they still made her worry for the younger girl. She wasn't quite sure how she would handle a full, noisy castle in a few weeks. But then, she also wasn't sure how she, herself, was going to handle it, with the amount of magic now within her. Emma only wished that summer wasn't almost over.

-x-

While he hadn't be quite sure where he was going, as long as it was away from Eric's office and the camp, he had certainly not thought he would find a very upset teenage boy. One who was refusing to speak to him. "Derek, you know you can talk to me. I just want to help." He repeated, sighing softly when the child scuffed.

"You can't help. You can't fix this." Derek grimaced, eyes focused on the tree he had been punching when Henry had found him. Not that he would let the man look at his hand, no matter how much he pressed. He deserved this pain. He had acted just like his father. He didn't want to be his father! Or his uncle! He just wanted to be himself, to figure out who exactly he could be. Was that too much to ask?

"May I at least check your hand?" He asked again, eyeing the torn and bleeding limb. The child had been doing so much better, had been talking to him and his healer. His temper had been calmer and he stopped the bullying. But since his cousin had come close to suicide, he had been closed off; angry. As if he blamed himself. "You do know that Ariana's actions are not your fault, don't you?" He inquired after a few minutes of silence. He wasn't so sure that the boy did.

"I know that. She even told me it wasn't my fault. But my own actions are! Isn't that what you've been trying to teach me? It's my fault!" He shouted, jumping up from the bench and pacing the courtyard for a few moments. When Henry made no move to follow or stop him, he relaxed slightly. This was Henry, after all. The man had never hurt him before, had never treated him like he wasn't worth his time. He just was so upset with himself. He hadn't known she was there! And he had just reacted! But did that make him his father? He had hurt her, just like his father had hurt him. But he hadn't meant it.

"What's your fault, Derek?"

"I hit Lila!" He snapped, slamming his hand into one of the trees again. The pain burned into his mind but he deserved it. Right? Ariana would kill him if she knew. They had made a promise to each other that they would protect Lila, at all costs. He had broken that.

He blinked, taking a slow deep breath. Because the child could mean anything. He would be surprised if Derek had purposely harmed the young girl but that didn't mean it couldn't happen. The teenager was very protective if that little girl; hell, pretty much everyone there that summer was protective of that child. He just couldn't see him harming her on purpose. Because while he could be a bully, he tended to bully with his words and only get physical with the older boys. And he had pretty much stopped all of that. "You hit Lila?"

"Yes!" He swung his fist into the tree again, grimacing at the sudden sharp pain. He gasped, biting his lip and flinching violently when a hand gently caught his wrist.

"Let me see that, Derek." He murmured quietly, scanning the child's hand quickly with his eyes. It looked like he had fractured it. "May I cast a diagnostic charm on your hand?"

He shook his head, trying to tug away. "I deserve the pain."

"Why?"

"Because I hurt her! I didn't mean to but I did! I'm just like my father!" He shouted, wincing when he tried to pull his hand away again. It hurt like hell. But he deserved the pain. His father had been right. He was a monster just like him.

Henry closed his eyes for a moment, fighting down the rage that threatened to over-power him. He wasn't angry at the teenager and if he let his anger show, the boy would think that it was directed at him. He gently rested his free hand on the boy's shoulder, carefully nudging him toward the bench. "Repeat what you just said for me." He requested softly, putting a small amount of pressure on the boy's shoulder, encouraging him to sit.

Derek sat down, frowning when the healer crouched in front of him and turned his hand over. "I hurt Lila." He repeated. He didn't understand how that would help. If anything, it made him feel guiltier.

"After that."

"I didn't mean to but...I didn't mean to?"

"You didn't mean to." He reinforced firmly, shaking his head. "Derek, was it an accident?" He questioned quietly, keeping his eyes focused on the battered hand, hoping that would make the child more comfortable.

He furrowed his brows, tilting his head to the side. It had been an accident. He had been boxing with the tree and she had tapped his back. He had thrown his elbow back in defense and spun around with his fists raised. When she cowered away from him... "She was scared of me. Because I hurt her. She came up behind me and she's so quiet, I just reacted." He felt a tear roll down his cheek, quickly closing his eyes.

"Do you know what sets you apart from your father Derek? No? He meant to harm you. You didn't want to hurt Lila. The instinct that has kept you alive for fifteen years thought you were in danger. Your body responded before your mind could catch up. You might have noticed that that happens a lot at the camp." Henry explained quietly, slowly drawing his wand and raising an eyebrow at the teen in question. When the boy nodded, he drew it carefully along his hand, frowning at the results. He had been right, it was fractured.

The blond frowned in thought, turning that over in his head. He knew there were others at the camp, especially in Ariana's group sessions, who reacted to unexpected touch by lashing out. They had all gotten a bit better since coming to the camp, but if they were startled, they still hit first and asked questions later. Just like he did. Just like Ariana had done when he had startled her. He would apologize to Lila again, because he knew she was probably still upset, and while he had hurt her, it was really an accident. He wasn't becoming his father. Because he didn't want to be like that man, he didn't have to spout his bigotry and hatred any longer. But now that he wasn't angry at himself, his hand really hurt.

He sighed softly, giving up the search in his pockets. He didn't have his healer kit on him, so while he could heal the boy's hand, he didn't have the ointment, tweezers, or wraps that he needed. Which meant they needed to head to the medical wing. "I don't have what I need to fix your hand, Derek. Will you come to the infirmary with me?" He inquired softly. If the boy wouldn't, he'd just go grab what he needed and come back. But he had hope that the boy would, even though he knew at least one of his cousins was up there. If not both, since it was one of the days Mia came for her potion treatments.

Derek hesitated before finally nodding. He could talk to Ariana, at least, and tell her what happened. He wasn't sure what they would do if Lila stayed afraid of him. It would make Ariana's infirmary stay much harder on all three of them, since he had been taking care of Lila. He had even brushed the little girl's hair this morning, after she had thrown the brush at Rani. He waited for the healer to stand before standing carefully. Even though he saw the healer's movements, he still flinched when Henry wrapped an arm around his shoulder. Comfort was something that he still wasn't really used to.

-x-

She watched her brother for a long moment, as he jumped and twisted, before turning back to her book. Karrie was stretched out on Harry's bed, a pillow propped behind her back and one under her leg. "If you break it, Remus won't buy you another." She remarked, flipping the page in the newest detective book in the series. It was a mundane series and it happened to be one of her favourite. Remus had bought it and several other books for her, since she was going to be on crutches for at least another week, when he had brought home the miniature trampoline for Harry. Which her brother had yet to stop bouncing on.

"Remus charmed it not to break." He shrugged, twisting again. Severus and Remus had cast several charms over the trampoline as they were putting it together. Remus had promised that they would get a real trampoline for their house but for right now, this worked. He couldn't do all the tricks he wanted on here. It wasn't really big enough for flips or certain tricks, but he still like it. He liked bouncing just as much as he liked running, climbing, and flying. While he knew that Karrie couldn't bounce right now, because of her cast, he didn't understand why she preferred reading to running and jumping. He liked to read comics, sure, but he also preferred to be moving. He liked being active.

"Don't mess with the spells on it, okay?"

He rolled his eyes, glancing over at his twin. "I already promised Remus and Severus that I wouldn't."

She snorted, shaking her head. "They're adults, we both know that it is easy to break a promise you didn't mean to adults." Even if she knew that neither of them wanted to break a promise to those two men.

He shrugged, eyeing the distance to the bed. He was almost sure he could make it with a good leap from the trampoline. He bounced a little higher, focusing on the foot of the bed. He gave a final bounce, jumping toward the bed and crashing into the end of it. He groaned, rolling onto his back for a moment. Well, he had made it to the bed, just not on the bed.

"Severus is coming." Karrie warned, glancing up to make sure all of his limbs were still attached before turning back to her book. She was used to Harry's stunts so if he wasn't bleeding and his limbs were attached, she no longer bothered to get up. It helped that she knew, although she wasn't quite sure how, that he was only a bit bruised. He had known when she had fallen and broken her leg further and she knew when he managed to skin his knees and knock himself around. But they were twins, now, so she thought that might have something to do with it.

He sighed, knocking on the door softly for a moment before opening it. He had a feeling that was Harry. They had spelled the trampoline so that the child couldn't jump through it, but not so he couldn't jump off. If they did get one of the full sized ones, he was going to attach a net...and a tethering spell to Harry. Maybe a height limiting spell? And one so he couldn't break his neck. Maybe he should just spell all the floors to act like mats. "Are you alright, Harry?" He inquired calmly, assessing the child with his eyes. He seemed a little disoriented and probably a little bruised, but not really hurt. Which, with this child, wasn't unusual. Harry tended to get himself into all kinds of situations where he ended up with bruises or skinned knees, but always seemed to manage to escape serious injury. Unlike his sister. But then, Karrie's bones were a lot more fragile than Harry's.

Harry shrugged, getting back up and on the trampoline. "I'm okay." He started bouncing again, glancing at Severus and deciding against the next twist he wanted to try for the moment. He had a feeling that the professor would think it was risky and he didn't want to upset him

"Try not to crack open your skull, alright?" He admonished, shaking his head. Severus was well aware that the preteen tended to like anything that he thought was dangerous. He was just happy the boy hadn't asked for a skateboard yet. Not the he would be getting one, not until his body was healthy. While Harry's bones weren't as fragile as Karrie's, he didn't break them from just falling, his bones were still soft from malnutrition. And while the potions the entire camp had spiked into their juice helped, it would take time for any of their bodies to heal completely.

She snorted, turning another page. Harry would probably try to do just that. "Don't worry, I won't let him."

He rolled his eyes and kept bouncing. Karrie would probably throw some magic out to catch him if he tried that, although she never seemed able to do that when she was falling. "I won't." He gave Severus what he would consider an innocent smile, smirking when the older man merely shook his head and left their room. He jumped and twisted, trying to manage the double twist with only one bounce. He wasn't quite there yet, but he knew with practice, he would be able to do it. It did still shock him that the two men cared this much about them. It wasn't even that they got him a trampoline, which Remus had said was to help him burn off some of his 'excess energy'. It was that they cared enough to make sure he was safe using it, that he didn't get hurt. He had started to think of them as their dads, because he was more sure of their concern and love for them now. He just wasn't sure how his parents would have felt about that.

"Stop thinking so hard."

"I'm not!"

"You stopped bouncing. You stop moving when you overthink." She retorted, glancing up at him with a frown. She wasn't quite sure what was bothering her brother, but she would rather his magic not start reacting to it. Harry tended to lose control when he was upset, just as she did sometimes. But the extra magic in the air would hurt and she couldn't even escape from it.

"Karrie...do you think that my parents would care if I, well if, you know..I don't know." He grimaced, smacking his hand into his head. He cared about Severus and Remus and he was almost certain that he did love them like they were his parents but he didn't want his real parents to hate him for finding someone else.

She hesitated, setting her book aside and tapping the space beside her on the bed. She waited for her brother to come over and sit beside her before gently taking his hand and squeezing. "I think...I think your parents would want someone to love and support you like they would have if they were alive. I don't think they'd be mad that an adult cares about you or that you are starting to care for them too." She replied quietly, meeting his eyes for a long moment.

"I just don't want them to hate me."

"They won't." She was certain of that. Remus and Severus had both owled old friends and managed to get photos of Harry's parents and him as a baby, which they had added to the album Hagrid had made for him. The people in those photos always had the biggest smiles when they were holding Harry. His parents loved him and they were taken from him. "It's okay to want what Severus and Remus are offering. I want it too." She added softly, eyes focusing on the galloping unicorn on her cast. His parents had wanted him, hers had not. But now Severus and Remus wanted both of them and while she was just as uncertain of how long that would last as Harry was, she wanted it to last. She wanted to be Severus and Remus'.

He nodded, squeezing her hand. What she said made sense. He knew that they had loved him and he guessed that they would want him to be happy. He just never really knew them but he didn't want to betray them by wanting what Severus and Remus were offering. Maybe there was a way for him to have Severus and Remus and still honor his parents. It was something to think about anyway. But right now, right now he felt like bouncing again. He squeezed his sister's hand again before letting go with a grin and bounding off the bed, back to his trampoline.

She gave a half smile, shaking her head. Back to normal, then.

-x-

"Let me see, Lucas."

"I'm going to put bruise balm on it." He argued, although he was sure that the older healer already knew that.

"And the ones on your back?" Eric inquired, raising an eyebrow as he folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against his desk. While Lila's meltdown wasn't unexpected, he knew how much those little hands and feet could hurt. Not to mention the bite marks he could see on Lucas' arm. "Tim had to help me after my last encounter with those little hands and feet. And if I remember correctly, Henry routinely corners Jake and covers his back with balm."

He sighed softly, grimacing. He knew Eric had a point but the scars on his chest made him feel uncomfortable; even his own healer had never seen them. He did know that there was at least a head-sized bruise on his chest and stomach from that little girl. "Is she still hitting Jake?"

"Only when she's angry, upset, frustrated, overwhelmed, or wanting his attention. So, at least once a day." Jake had taken to caring for Lila during the days while Ariana was in the medical wing. Which meant he was carrying the child on his back or his chest, so there were days when she was hitting and kicking him in the back or stomach. He did know why the slightly younger man was fighting this, besides healers being the worse patients, of course. "You are safe here, Lucas. You should know by now that I won't judge you for your scars. It's not like we've been working together for years or anything." He added quietly, meeting Lucas' eyes when they jumped to his.

How did Eric know he had scars on his chest? They worked in the same field and had spent about six or seven years working together but he knew the man had never seen them. He didn't let anyone see them and he rarely ever talked about them, although he did know that he had told Eric and Tim about his ex. He just hadn't thought he had told them about the scars. "Did I tell you about them?" He frowned at the nod, tilting his head. "Was I drunk?"

"You were upset. It was six years ago at a New Years Eve party for the Pediatric healers." He sighed softly, shaking his head. "I just want to check the bruising, Lucas, and make sure she didn't accidentally bruise a rib. She might be little and underweight but she has quite the punch when she's upset."

He hesitated for a moment before sighing softly. Eric was a healer, just like him. What's more, he trusted Eric. He also remembered that party now that Eric had mentioned it and why, exactly, he had been upset enough to tell the one thing he tended to keep hidden. He had shrugged his robe off when he had come into Eric's office to tell him about Lila's meltdown after he had her calm, so now he carefully pulled his shirt over his head, flinching when a hand touched the middle of his largest scar, right where a little head had slammed into it over and over again.

He paused, keeping his hand still until he felt Lucas take another breath. "Lila head-butted you good." He commented quietly, turning to pick up the jar of bruise balm he had pulled out when Lucas had started his story. Any story with Lila and meltdown in it would need bruise balm and Lucas clearly did. He wasn't certain that there wasn't a bruised rib as large as the bruise was blooming. It had only been a few hours, so the bruises hadn't fully developed yet. Which was good, the balm would work faster that way. "Do you mind if I apply this and check your ribs?" He asked, keeping his eyes locked on Lucas' until the other healer nodded. He carefully rested his hand back on the bruise again, letting his magic sink down into Lucas' skin and quickly using it to examine his ribs. There was one rib that had slight bruising but he knew it would make Lucas uncomfortable the longer it was left unattended. He gently let his magic surround the rib, allowing it to slowly heal the bruising before drawing his magic back out of the younger healer. He then opened the jar of balm, carefully spreading it over the bruise and scars. He knew why Lucas didn't like people seeing his scars because that New Years Eve party had ended not long after he had found an upset Lucas in the courtyard and decided that to make Lucas feel safe that he was going home with him and Tim that night. The largest scar ran from just below his shoulder blade, down his chest at an angle to right below his rib cage.

"She took a job at the hospital. I...they offered me your job to get me to stay but I'd rather heal than work administration." He remarked quietly, closing his eyes for a moment. He had always felt safe when he worked with Eric and he knew that Eric would understand quite well why he hadn't jumped at that opportunity. The pay was a hell of a lot better there but for his mental health, he couldn't work with that woman.

He had thought, for the last few years, that the woman was stalking Lucas but the man had always denied it. She certainly wouldn't be following him here, he wouldn't hire her. Not to work with children, not to work with anyone. She had applied a few times at the children's hospital but he had always rejected it. The hospital must have been desperate, losing him, Tim, and Lucas, although all three of them had offered to fill in as needed and still saw their personal patients. He'd have to send their acting head a note about her. Any person who harmed their spouse, or ex-spouse in Lucas' case, like that should not be healing anyone. He finished applying the balm to his chest, motioning for him to turn so he could apply it to his back. "It isn't really worth the pay, although it does certainly pay more than we can." He responded, sighing at the spattering of bruises he could see starting to form. "We really need to teach Lila not to hit."

"She has autism, Eric. She gets frustrated, she reacts. Her reaction just happens to be hitting. At least she isn't hitting herself." Lucas shrugged, feeling his muscles relax slightly as the bruise balm was massaged in. He knew he wouldn't have been able to reach some of those spots on his own.

He shook his head, applying the balm to the last bruise before gently tapping Lucas' shoulder and stepping back. He waited for the man to turn around, eyeing the teeth marks he could see. "Did you clean those?"

"Not yet."

Eric sighed, moving to one of the cabinets in his office. He placed the bruise balm on a shelf before grabbing a bottle of rubbing alcohol. "If her primary school had wanted to they could have helped her; they had the resources in place for children with autism. Now, we have a young preteen entering a new school who cannot verbally communicate, who cannot handle loud noises or large crowds. There's no plan in place for her, nothing that has been done at her primary school that we can implement here." He summed a cloth, dabbing it with the rubbing alcohol before gently running it over the bite marks on Lucas' arm. He knew Lucas, and Alexis, were just as frustrated as he was about Lila's situation. The child went for testing next week. They were already trying to get some sort of plan in place for the girl but it was proving to be difficult.

Lucas grimaced at the sting, knowing that it would kill any germs or infections. It was the most effective for minor wounds but that didn't mean he liked it. "She needs a one on one." He commented, slipping his shirt back over his head when Eric stepped back again.

"Remus suggested the same thing, he used to work as one at a primary school. It might be difficult finding one in the magical world." It was a good idea , it was just finding a suitable one on one that might be the problem, although he thought Jake might be a good choice to look into.

"We'll find something that work, Eric. Until then, Severus might want to make extra bruise balm." Lucas joked, settling down into an armchair and reaching for a cup of tea. They both could use a good cup of tea, after all.

-x-

After he had finished healing Derek and the teenager had wander to where his cousin was, he turned toward Lucas. The slightly older man had been watching him for several minutes and it was a bit disconcerting. While he didn't think Eric would have told Lucas exactly what was going on, he knew that the other man might have picked up on it.

"He's in his office. It would be easier for you if you went to him, instead of the other way around." Lucas commented, moving from where he had been standing. Once Henry had finished using one of the small examination rooms, the man had wondered onto the main floor. He had used the excuse of restocking his healer's bag, but Henry wasn't fooling him. The younger man kept sending looks at Eric's door and he didn't even have his healer's bag with him. He also knew what the younger man did for a living. While he wasn't a mind-healer, he could see the toil it was taking on the younger man.

He grimaced, shooting a glare at Lucas. He took a deep breath, locking his shields firmly in place before steeling his will and moving to Eric's door. He hesitated, taking another deep breath before knocking on it. If the man didn't answer, he could just say he tried. After all, he didn't think the man was on duty at the moment so it wouldn't be his fault if the man decided not to get the door.

Eric glanced at the door, raising an eyebrow at the color of the light. Lucas had filled him in on what had happened with Lila while he had been out looking for a wayward healer, so he knew it wouldn't be Lucas unless something had happened. But the other man would have just called him with his pendant if he had more than he could handle. The light, however, indicated that it was a counselor or healer, and not a student or Alexis. "Come."

He hesitated for another moment before slowly opening the door and stepping inside. He bit his lip when Eric merely raised an eyebrow at him, dropping his eyes to the floor.

"Sit." He ordered quietly, dark eyes focused on the younger man. While Henry's mask would fool many, it looked to him like the younger healer was about to break down. Which was why he had not wanted the young man to wait any longer. He needed to release his emotions, safely, before they exploded. If that happened around one of the students, it could cause serious damage to the healing of that student.

"I...can we just..if-"

"Sit down, Henry. You are not in charge in here." He ordered briskly, meeting blue eyes when they flew to him. It took a moment for the young man to obey but eventually he gave in.

Henry shook his head, sinking down into the chair. He really didn't want to do this. It wasn't necessary. He could force his emotions to go back down, he could lock them in. He remembered exactly what his last healer had said to him, after all. He could control his emotions. He had to.

He observed the other man for a long moment, shaking his head. When he had talked to Henry's previous healer, he had been less than pleased. That healer would be answering to the board, as he was reporting it. Talking to Henry's old master, however, was much more useful. From what his master had said, Henry had been really good at going to his healers and letting his shields down. Until now, until this last healer. And since he wasn't sure when Henry had last let down his shields fully, like he needed to so that he could keep control of emotions, he knew what he might have to do. He had to get Henry to drop his shields and he wasn't sure he could verbally convince him that he was safe here. "When was the last time you actually let your shields down?"

"I told you, the end of May." He answered, grimacing slightly. That was the truth, after all. He had let them down in May, that had been what had finally pushed his healer into quitting. It didn't matter that it had been accidental, that he couldn't keep them up any longer. He hadn't fully dropped his shields since last December and he knew that he needed to. It was just hard to release that control now. He had been close to firing his healer when the man had quit. Hell, he knew he should have fired him in the first month.

He ignored the attitude, knowing that Henry literally couldn't help it right now. "Let me be more specific then. When was the last time you fully gave up your control and let yourself feel?" He inquired, sighing softly when the younger healer looked away from him. He knew that what Henry did as a living was difficult and emotionally draining. That was why that type of mind-healers were rare and they had to have iron control over their own emotions. How else would he be able to notice the slightest change in a student's behaviour, if he didn't force his own feelings about that behaviour down. Henry's job wasn't easy and he was suppose to have a mind-healer that he could let down his barriers around, that he could feel around, to keep him sane. From the younger man's reaction, though, he could guess the answer to his own question and that didn't make him happy. "That long, huh?"

"December." He whispered, not looking up at the dark-skinned healer. He didn't want to see his reaction.

He closed his eyes, forcing down his own anger. No wonder Henry had been so enraged about Jake that he struggled to control it. No wonder his rage had overpowered him earlier. He was surprised his emotions hadn't overpowered him before this. That would make his job so much harder. Because he was almost sure now that he was going to have to force the younger man to drop his shields. "I need you to release your control, Henry. It has been way too long, you know this." He responded briskly.

He huffed, shaking his head. He knew this but it was so much harder than it sounded. He had held control for so long now that he wasn't even sure he wanted to feel the emotions he had been locking in. His last healer had told him quite clearly that he was weak for needing to release the built up emotions, he was weak because he couldn't control the release. He had never had a healer tell him that before and at first he at brushed it off, but the man had gotten angry at him every time he tried to follow the same exercises past healers had used with him. He should have left immediately, he knew that. But it was so hard to find a healer who could handle it and he had been working long shifts then...he had finally just decided that he was old enough to be able to control it. That he would be fine. He knew better but he still tried to fight it. To not give in. To not feel.

"Look at me." He waited a few minutes until blue eyes finally met his. "Take a deep breath and hold it in. Good. Now release. And again." He directed calmly, keeping his tone firm. He could see the conflict in Henry's eyes and he did understand. The young man had forced his emotions down for so long that the initial release would feel awful. But that's why he was there, to ground him. To keep him from drifting too far away.

Henry took another deep breath, holding it to the silent count of ten before releasing it. Pause for ten seconds, breath in. Hold, and breath out. The pattern was calming, it was familiar, it was almost relaxing. He kept breathing, listening to Eric's deep voice. Honestly, the older man would make a good healer for him. He knew that. He just wasn't sure he wanted to let go, he didn't want to feel the hurricane of emotions that would hit him. For he knew exactly where the breathing was leading to. It wasn't his first rodeo, after all.

"Now, as you breath out, feel your body slowly relax. Breath in. Let your mind relax. Breath out, feel your limbs relax. And in as your barriers slowly withdraw." He instructed, keeping his voice soft for the moment. He frowned suddenly, tilting his head. He had seen Henry's body slowly relax and he was sure his mind was starting to drift, but his barriers were still firmly up, still locked in place. "Breath out. Let your mind calm. And in, as your mind relaxes."

He felt his body relax but he was trying to fight, trying to keep his barriers up. His mind drifted into relaxation for a moment, his shield started to slip and the feeling that hit him made him slam his barriers back up. He could still hear Eric's instructions and while he did breath in, he held it, shoving that emotion as far down as he could.

"Stop holding your breath, Henry. Breath out." He ordered, eyes focused intently on the younger healer. He was still holding his breath. Shit. "Henry. Henry!" He gave a soft sigh of relief when his eyes snapped back to him and he released the breath he had been holding. "Listen to my voice."

He tried, he really did. But a part of him was fighting it and he couldn't force that down. He keep breathing; he also kept part of his body still tense, still unwilling to give in.

So that wasn't going to work, then. Not if Henry kept fighting it. Of the dozens of exercises that popped into his mind, he dismissed almost all of them. He finally decided on one, standing slowly so that he didn't startle Henry. "Alright, I want you to do something for me. Stand up, please." He ordered.

He groaned, obeying quickly. He had a feeling that he knew this exercise and he wasn't so sure he would be able to fight it. Or if he wanted to fight it. If it was what he was thinking, it was one that always made him relax, always made him feel safe.

He moved silently, coming to stand behind Henry. He placed his hands on the younger man's shoulders, knowing that this would only work if the younger man trusted him. The fact that he didn't pull away was a good start. "Close your eyes." He ordered softly, waiting a few moments before continuing. "Start at your feet. Tense and relax them. Feel the tension leave them. Good. Now feel your ankles. Feel how your weight rests of them. Feel them tense and relax. Good.  
Now feel your shins.."

Henry listened to the soft instructions, tensing and relaxing the body parts Eric named. He could feel the comfort of the older healer's hands on his shoulders, the weight of them. He kept tensing and relaxing until he reached his arms, tensing but not relaxing those muscles. A small, a very small, part of him still wanted to fight it and he was getting too close to his head for comfort. Because even though he could feel his shields relaxing now, he knew that he would start feeling when he started relaxing and tensing the muscles in his face. And it had been so long, he wasn't sure he wanted to feel that right now.

"Relax your arm muscles, Henry. Relax. Feel the tension leave them, let that feeling fill you." He instructed quietly, gently squeezing the younger man's shoulder. If he could just get him to stop fighting him... but that was easier said than done. "Don't fight it, Henry. Let the calm fill you. That's it. Feel your shoulders tense and relax. Good."

He was trying, he really was. Letting his body relax, letting the calm fill him, that was easy. But every time he felt an emotion start to drift past his shield, he'd tense, forcing it back. As he slowly relaxed the muscles in his cheeks and then his temple, he felt a particularly strong emotion and he slammed his shields back up, feeling his entire body tense. He jerked away from the gentle grasp on his shoulders, trying to lock his mind back down. He couldn't feel, he couldn't do this. "I can't do this Eric."

"Yes, you can. You have to stop fighting it." He responded firmly. He didn't move back to the younger man, letting him have his space for the moment. He had feared they would end up here and as much as he knew that would work, he didn't want Henry to come to depend on that to release his emotions. Although he didn't think the young man would. Once he had released control and he had managed to get him through the overpowering emotions, he knew that it would be easier the next time. Because Henry had been holding control for too long. Instead of releasing his control weekly, it had been months, which was what was making this harder. Because the longer it went, the stronger the buried emotions became, the more power they had. "Do you trust me?"  
-x-


	43. Memories of Past Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a realistic PTSD scene near the end of this chapter that deals with war. You have been warned.

-x-

"Do we have to Alexis?"

"No Marko. You don't have to. But I would like for you to meet him." She responded for the third time, turning her eyes to the quieter twin. "How do you feel about meeting your grandfather, Milo?" Alexis inquired softly. Paul, Jake, Henry, and she had been talking to the twins about this for a week. But it would be the day their grandfather was here that they refused to see him.

He hesitated, biting his lip before glancing at his brother. "Will you be there, Alexis?"

"The whole time. Paul will also be there." She reassured again. She knew why they were scared, of course, but she had promised both of them that she wouldn't let them go with anyone she didn't approve of, that they'd never hurt like that again. She had actually met with their grandfather several times and the older man was well aware that the boys were spending the summer at the school, although they might try a day or so out with him, and that both boys would take time to warm up to and trust him. Paul was actually with him now, in a room set aside specifically for this purpose, for the campers to met guardians within the safety of the castle.

Marko scoffed, shuffling in place. He didn't like being still but he wasn't sure he wanted to meet this man. The man had never cared about them before, hadn't even met them before, so why should he care now? His brother was more likely to give him a chance, because Milo was like that. "He never cared before."

She closed her eyes for a moment, not moving from where she was standing. They were in a hallway, they had been halfway to the room when Marko started getting angry. Since he was the one most likely to hit when he got upset, she had stopped their journey to find out why he was upset. And there it was. Their grandfather had never contacted them, never met them before. They were fourteen and he was now just entering their lives. She understood why their grandfather hadn't been there all along, she had asked after all. "He cared, Marko. But he wasn't allowed around you for reasons that I cannot explain. I know you are scared, but Paul and I will be right there. " She responded finally, meeting both of the twins eyes. She had known that convincing Marko might be a problem. Marko was the more hot-tempered of the two, more likely to swing first and ask questions later. Whereas Milo was calmer, quieter, shy. Milo would be more likely to give their grandfather a chance, even though she knew that it would take him longer to trust him than it would Marko.

Milo met his twin's eyes, tilting his head slightly. He was curious to meet the man, even though he didn't trust him. But he trusted Alexis and Paul. He was still a bit scared and he wasn't above hiding behind Alexis or Paul if he needed to. "Okay."

He grumbled under his breath for a moment before nodding slightly. He didn't want to do this, it would just be another adult who didn't give a damn about them. But he would do it for his brother, or at least he would try. "Fine."

Grey eyes gazed between the two of them for a moment before she nodded and beckoned for the boys to follow her again. She stopped outside the door, turning back to the silent teenagers. "Are you ready?"

"I don't think we'll ever be ready, Alexis." Milo responded quietly, glancing at his brother again before turning back to her.

Of course they wouldn't be. These two boys had been hurt so much that they didn't trust easily, didn't want to be hurt again. She had promised them, repeatedly, that she would not allow anyone to harm them like that again. But like everything else with the camp children, actions spoke much louder than words. "Alright then. Let's go meet your grandfather." She slowly opened the door, catching Paul's eyes before stepping into the room. She waited a moment but when neither boy followed her, she stuck her head back into the hallway. "It's okay, boys. You are safe here." She stated softly, for their ears alone. It took a moment for Marko to step into the room, gently tugging his brother along with him. The child might have a temper but he was always aware of his brother's feelings and he protected the other boy.

Paul eyed the two teenagers, fighting down a sigh. Milo looked terrified and Marko looked pissed. He had warned Stefan that the boys would spook easily, to let them come to him, to not touch them without explicit permission. He had explained that they might acted younger than they were, that they might refuse to speak to him. The older man had taken it all in stride. Hopefully, he would remember what he and Alexis had told him.

"Marko, Milo, this is your grandfather, Stefan." Alexis introduced, glancing at the older gray-haired man before turning her eyes back to the boys. She had a feeling it was only a matter of time before Milo darted away. He might be the calmer of the two, but he was also the more easily frightened of the two.

"Hello Marko and Milo." Stefan stated calmly, tilting his head slightly when the one he thought was Milo shifted slightly behind the young headmistress. He had listened to both of the healers, so he understood that the boys might be afraid of them, but he had hoped they wouldn't be. He hadn't seen either boy since they were born, not by choice of course. If he had known what was happening in that house...but that was the past and he couldn't fix that. The only thing he can do right now was offer the boys a safe, loving home.

Marko scoffed, dropping his eyes to the floor. "Hello." He mumbled finally, scuffing his shoes against the floor. The man was old and he didn't seem mean, but that didn't mean anything.

"Can we sit down and talk?" Stefan asked carefully, frowning when one of the boys ducked even further behind Alexis.

"That sounds like a great idea." Paul remarked, gesturing toward Marko. It took a minute for the teenager to move toward him. He guided him to one of the couches, waiting for the boy to sit down before he sat beside him. He knew Alexis would have her hands full with Milo and he also knew Marko well enough to know that sitting with him was his best move right now.

She turned slowly, keeping her body between the young teenager and the older man for a moment, so that he could feel safe. "Do you want to go sit down? No? Would you like to move closer?" She inquired quietly, sighing when he shook his head. She turned back around, shaking her head slightly. "We're just going to hang out over here for a while."

Paul nodded, glancing at the terrified child before turning his focus back to the angry child. "Do you have anything you want to ask, Marko?"

"Yeah. Why the fuck did you never visit us? Never care about us?" He snapped, darting his eyes to the older man before glancing away. He could have sworn he had seen hurt in the man's eyes. Good. He had never cared about them, so he didn't care if he hurt him.

"Marko, we've talked about using words like that." Paul shook his head, sending an apologetic look toward the boys grandfather. He had warned him, but he did know that he probably hadn't actually expected it.

He grimaced, shaking his head without bothering to hide the sadness in his eyes. He had expected the question at some point, he just hoped the boys could understand. "Not by choice. Your parents refused to let me see you. They didn't approve of my partner. I'm going to assume that neither of you ever got the letters and packages I sent you."

"You sent us letters?"

He turned his eyes to the boy peeking around the headmistress. Both healers had told him that the teenagers might display behaviour that was younger than they were but it still shocked him. He knew some of what happened to these boys and it had made him so angry that their parents had harmed them so. It was upsetting, seeing the damage that had been done to his grandchildren, the emotional and mental damage. "I did. I sent you letters every month since you were born." He had hoped that one day their parents would have slipped up and the boys would have managed to get at least one letter but that hadn't happened. He did blame himself partly for this, if he had only fought harder to see them...that was in the past now and the boys needed him in the present.

"You have a partner?" Marko frowned, tilting his head slightly. That made sense then, his parents hated gay people. Hated all kinds of people, really. He didn't want to think about it logically though. That was Milo's job. His job was to be angry,

"Yes. His name is Patrick and he looks forward to meeting the two of you one day soon." He would have brought the other man but Alexis had asked him not to, this time, so that the boys wouldn't feel overwhelmed.

Milo hesitated before slowly moving around Alexis. He slipped his hand into the woman's, nodding when she looked at him. He thought maybe he could sit down, maybe he could try to give their grandfather the chance to explain, to talk to them. But only if Alexis stayed beside him. "Okay." He whispered, meeting her eyes when she gestured to another couch. They could try, at least.

-x-

"Just take it off, Damien!"

"Leave me alone!"

"It needs to be washed!"

"Shut up! Shut up!"

He didn't bother knocking, striding calmly into the room. "What is going on in here?" Tim inquired, raising an eyebrow at the teenager for a moment before turning his eyes to the preteen.

"He told me I had to take it off!" Damien whined, pulling the robe tighter to his body.

Isaac rolled his eyes, used to his brother's dramatics. "That's not what I said. I said it stinks."

"I don't stink!"

"Damien...has the robe been washed at all since I gave it to you?" He asked calmly, forcing down a sigh when the child looked away. The boy had had the robe for four or five days now, no wonder Isaac was trying to get it off him. He had thought that it had been washed at least once, while the boy slept, but now it hit him that the child was sleeping in it. Preteen boys and hygiene was going to be the death of him.

"You need a shower and that robe needs to be washed." Isaac added, meeting the little brat's eyes. Sometimes Damien drove him crazy. He knew his brother wasn't fond of showering, but he did stink and he knew the other boys would tease him about it when school started. He hadn't expected Tim to intervene however. Damien was his brother, he was responsible for him, not the adults.

"I'm not taking it off!" He stomped his foot, turning away from his brother and toward Tim. He didn't want to take it off. He felt safe when he had it on, like nothing could hurt him. It still smelt like Tim and that made him feel so much safer than he normally did.

"Don't be stupid, you can't take a shower with it on." Isaac retorted, rolling his eyes.

"I'm not stupid! I'm not showering!"

"You need a shower." He responded, glaring at his brother. The younger boy was so damn stubborn. It wasn't as if a shower would hurt him. And he stunk.

"No!"

Tim shook his head, frowning at Isaac for a moment before turning his eyes to Damien. "Damien, would it be alright if I shrunk down one of Eric's robes or another one of mine, so that we could wash this one? I'll make sure you get it back." He inquired calmly, crouching so he was on the preteen's level.

He hesitated, chewing on his lip for a moment. "That'd be okay. Can I pick it out?" Damien answered finally, grinning when the older man nodded. He still wasn't taking a shower, though. They couldn't make him.

"There are a few you can't pick from but I'll show those to you. Why don't we go pick one of those out and I can shrink it while you are showering." As well as talk to his brother, because Isaac, as closed off as he normally was, looked angry and he had a feeling that anger wasn't directed at Damien.

"Not showering." He folded his arms over his chest, scowling at the healer.

"Damien-"

"You stink. If you don't shower, no one will play with you." Isaac snapped, trying to fight down his irritation at the healer for interfering. He had this, he could take care of his brother, he had done it for years without help.

"That's not true! Malik and Ben will play with me!"

"Then they're stupid! You-"

"Isaac!" Tim interrupted sharply but he didn't raise his voice. He knew he needed to stop this before either boy said something they would regret. "Why don't we all take a deep breath and calm down?"

Damien huffed, biting his lip to keep the tears locked inside. He wasn't allowed to cry, he knew that. He just wasn't sure why Isaac was being so mean to him. Isaac knew why he didn't like water. He didn't want to take a shower, he didn't feel safe enough here yet. He took a slow deep breath, like Tim had shown him, to keep the hurt and fear down.

He knew that he wouldn't calm down, not around this man. Not right now. He was too angry and he was trying hard to force it down so as to not scare Damien. He couldn't go off around Damien, he couldn't do that to his brother. But he was angry and he didn't even know why! He just knew that he was the one responsible for his brother, not Tim. He was the one who had to make sure his brother was dressed properly, slept well, ate well, did well in school. That was his job. "Fuck you." He growled, glaring at the man for a brief moment before high-tailing it out of the room.

Tim caught the younger boy as he lunged after his brother, wrapping his arms around the dark-skinned child. "Easy Damien. He'll be okay, just let him go right now." He murmured, debating for a moment before lifting the child up into his arms, feeling his little arms wrap around his neck. The boy did smell like body odor and sweat but no worse than any other preteen boy who didn't understand personal hygiene. He fought down a sigh but he knew the instant decision he had made, to tend to Damien instead of going after Isaac, was the best one for the moment. He knew Eric would take care of Isaac, thankfully the man had come home when he did.

He grimaced, not looking up to see whose chest he had barreled into. Since he was in Tim and Eric's quarters and Tim had stayed in Damien's room, he was fairly certain that the tall, broad chest he had run into was not Rose. He tried to move around the man, who must have just come in the door since it was still open, but flinched when a hand landed gently on his shoulder.

He sighed softly, listening to the silent information Tim sent him, gently grasping the teenager's shoulder. He had just come home, hoping to relax for a moment before they had to attend supper in the dining hall. It seemed that that wouldn't be happening They had wondered when Rose or Isaac would act out or snap at one of them. It just so happened that Isaac would test them first. "Why don't we take a walk?" He suggested calmly, moving slowly without removing his hand. He knew if he let go, Isaac would take off.

Isaac bit his lip, stealing a quick glance up to see how angry Eric was. He didn't think the older man would beat him, but he never could be sure. He did know that he wasn't exactly angry at Eric, yet, and Eric wouldn't know what had happened, he had probably just heard the last bit of shouting. He hesitated for a moment before nodding and letting Eric guide him into the hallway. He walked beside the man, trying to ignore the comforting weight on his shoulder as he tried to figure out where they were going. If he knew where they were heading, he could figure out the best route out of there, if he needed to escape.

He kept a firm hand on the teenager's shoulder, guiding him to the terrace garden off of the infirmary. He figured it was far enough away from their quarters that the teen would calm down a bit during the walk. Eric stopped at the stretch of bare wall, resting his hand on it a moment before opening the door that appeared.

He loved magic. Isaac knew they were near the medical wing but he hadn't know that this balcony was here and Rose had never mentioned it. He eyed the plants growing in pots around the railing and on small tables, frowning slightly. While he certainly wasn't Bain, he recognized several of them as ingredients in potion. There were a few he had used to treat his and Damien's injuries at his father's house as well. "What is this place?" He asked, curious, stepping further out onto the balcony when Eric released his shoulder.

"It is a herbal garden for the infirmary. It also acts as a small bit of solace and freedom for those who cannot leave the medical floor for whatever reason." He gave a soft smile, settling down in his usual patio chair. Even when he was angry, the boy's curiosity always shown through. He was glad that Isaac's parents hadn't managed to beat that out of him. He observed the teenager silently for a moment before turning his eyes to the grounds. The boy would not be able to get out of here without him, after all.

"It's beautiful."

"That it is."

Isaac hesitated, eyes staring out over the vast grounds he could see before them, leaning against the railing for a moment. He had a feeling it had the same wards on it as the towers did, so no one could fall accidentally or jump. He didn't feel as angry as he had before but he was still angry. Damien was his responsibility, he could handle him. Alone. Without any interference.

"Do you want to talk about why you are so angry, Isaac?" He inquired quietly, meeting eyes the color of his own before they quickly darted away.

He huffed, turning dark eyes to stare back over the grounds. Of course he didn't want to talk about it. Because he couldn't quite explain how intense and  
almost irrational his anger had felt at first. Maybe he just wanted to push them away because he knew they would leave anyway. No one ever cared for long, so why let Damien get attached? Why let Tim interfere? "No."

He shrugged, tapping a nearby table. It was not more than a few moments later when a tea tray popped in. "That's alright, we'll just sit here until you are ready to talk." He had to fight down a chuckle at the glare sent toward him. He had faced down many angry teenagers before and he had out-waited all of them. "Tea?"

"No!"

He sighed softly, shaking his head. He had a feeling this might take a while.

-x-

"You can pick any one of those robes." Tim remarked quietly, pulling the last set of suitable robes to the front of the closet. Some of them were just their everyday robes instead of being their work robes but they were all suitable for a child to wear.

He ran his hand over a black robe with purple trim, trying to sneakily sniff it. He knew the older wizard would understand why he smelt them, as the smell helped him feel safe, but he also knew that some people would find that weird. "What are the robes that are black and gold for? There's only two of them." He inquired, curious. Of all the robes Tim and Eric had, there were only two that were black with gold trimming and gold symbols. Those were also one of the few robes Tim had said he couldn't pick. They were the exact same length, which was odd because Tim and Eric's robes tended to be different lengths and different style cuts. Both men were tall but one was a bit taller than the other.

He didn't have to glance at the robes to know which ones the child meant. "Those our are ceremonial healers robes, they have our rank and field of study on them. We wear them only to meetings of the Healers guild and ceremonies where they are required." He responded, carefully pulling his out of the closet. There were a few healers who wore theirs at work, they were usually administrators, but most healers did not. They were hot and itchy, for one thing. The robes were also suppose to be worn only for ceremonies, rituals, and certain guild meetings. He moved it so Damien could see the symbols, lowering it to the child's level. "This one is mine. Do you see the difference between the symbols on this one and my other robes?"

"It still has the two hands holding a heart, that's the healer's symbol right? But it also has a head above the heart and your other robes don't. What does the line mean?" Damien hesitated for a moment, glancing at Tim before carefully tracing the symbols with his finger. The line was a different color than the other symbols, right under the hands and heart.

He knew the child would notice most of the differences, even if he missed a few of the smaller details. "That is the healer's symbol but look at the hands. One is smaller than the other, a mark for pediatric healers. The skull is a mark for mind-healers. The color of the line denotes my rank. I am a senior healer, so it is blue." He explained, letting the child run his hands over it again before slowly putting it back in the closet and pulling out his husband's. "This is Eric's."

"He doesn't have a head." He pointed out, eyeing the details on that robe. There were two lines that were a different color from Tim's and there was an odd symbol above the hands and heart. "What is this one?"

"While he does some mind healing work, he is considered as an advanced pediatric healer, which is what the first line is for. The second is his rank. The symbol states that he has the full authority of the guild to enforce the rules of the guild." He waited until the child was done running his hands over it before putting it back up. He was actually glad that he didn't have to enforce guild rules, because that meant he would have to attend more than one guild meeting a year and he hated those, they were rather dull.

Damien hesitated for a moment before finally pulling the black and purple robe out. It had a purple healer's symbol and it smelt like Eric. He already had a robe that smelt like Tim, so he wanted one of Eric's. "You have different ranks?"

"We do. Eric is a higher rank than me. Is that the robe you want?"

"Yes, please."

Tim slowly removed his wand, carefully tapping it to the robe before setting it on his bed. "Let's get the dirty robe off so you can wear this one." The child really needed a shower but he knew that would be a battle and he could wait a moment to start that battle, so that the child had a security blanket, or robe in this case, to hold on to.

He hesitated for a moment before trying to slip out of it. He had gotten better at putting robes on but he still struggled a little with taking them off, particularly since he didn't want to take it off.

Tim bit down a chuckle, gently tugging the robe the rest of the way off of the child's arms. He set the robe aside, he would wash it later that night, and picked up the fresh robe. He held it out to the preteen, smiling softly when the child hugged it to himself. He sat down on the bed, tapping the space next to him.

"Come sit."

Damien clutched the robe tighter, wanting to put it on but also wanting to just hold it for a moment. He slowly moved to sit beside the healer, looking up at the older man. "I don't want to take a shower."

"I know, Damien. Is there a reason you don't want to?" He questioned quietly, raising an eyebrow when the child wrapped his arms around his knees, burying his face in his knees while still clutching the robe as hard as he possibly could. "You are safe here, Damien. We promised that we would never harm you like that. I know you are upset, I just want to help."

"Our father liked to hold me under water to punish Isaac. I don't like water. It scares me." The dark-skinned child answered finally, rubbing the robe against his cheek. It made him feel safe as it smelled like Eric and he knew neither man would harm him. He had never felt that kind of safe before, like someone besides his brother cared enough about him to fight for him, to protect him.

Tim closed his eyes for a moment, forcing down his anger. He would love to go hex Damien's father but he had a child who needed him now. He could always hunt down the man later. "I am so sorry he did that to you, Damien. It's okay to be scared but I want you to understand that we would never allow that to happen to you again. " He responded softly, slowly setting a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder.

He slowly unfurled his body, releasing his knees and leaning into Tim's side for a moment. He still held tight to the robe, hesitating for a brief moment before lunging his little body into Tim's lap space. He liked it when the healers held him, it made him feel even safer. The only one who had ever held him like that was Isaac and his brother had been pulling away more and more. "Don't wanna shower."

He wrapped his arms around the child, shifting him so that he would be more comfortable. "It's okay, Damien. It's okay." He soothed, running his hand over the child's braids. Remus had convinced him that dreads needed a lot of care and attention, so the child had decided on box braids. He had a feeling that he had decided on that because Eric's hair was currently in box braids. He kept carefully running a hand over the child's braids, knowing that the boy found it soothing but he was also trying not to hurt the child, as he knew that the tighter braids closer to his skull would hurt if touched the wrong way. "What would it take to make you feel safe enough to shower?" He inquired when he felt the child was calm enough, though he still held him. He would not deny Damien the care and affection he so desperately wanted and needed.

He chewed on his lip, thinking in over for a few moments and tilting his head closer to the hand stroking his hair. He liked it when they did that. There were very few ways he would feel safe showering until he felt comfortable there, he knew that. But he did know how he could feel safer doing it, it was just babyish. "I...maybe if..could you sit outside the door? So no one could come in?" He mumbled, burying his face into Tim's chest, his free hand gripping the older man's robes. He still clutched Eric's robes, he wasn't going to let go of it any time soon.

"Of course I will." He answered, stroking the child's back with one hand. "Why don't we just sit here for a little bit and then, when you are ready, we can try that." He added quietly, feeling the child relax slightly. It wouldn't be the first door he had guarded to make a child feel safe and he knew it wouldn't be that last. But for now, he was content to just hold the child until he felt safe enough to try to shower.

-x-

Mary raised an eyebrow, pausing for a brief moment before continuing down the hallway and clearing her throat. She fought down a smirk when the two teenagers leaped apart. "Benjamin, Claire."

She blushed but met Mary's eyes firmly. She knew the older woman wouldn't hurt her and Mary was always good to talk to because it felt like her counselor cared, like she was listening to her. "We weren't doing anything that we shouldn't be." She stated, frowning when Ben backed up against the wall. He wasn't looking at either of them. The brunette had known that she had surprised him when she had kissed him, they had just been talking after all, but she was certain he liked her as well.

"I know that, Claire. It's alright. You aren't in trouble." She responded calmly, glancing at the teenage girl before turning her eyes back to Benjamin. She was almost positive that he had not initiated this, he looked terrified. "It's okay, Benjamin. It's okay." She added softly, sighing when he shrunk closer to the wall. She knew him well enough now to know the signs that he was close to a panic attack. While his attacks had been getting better, they still happened.

He knew he shouldn't have kissed her back, should have just said no. Because he could say no, right? That's what Jake and Mary have told their group repeatedly., that they had the power to say no if someone touched them and they didn't want them to. He tried to take a deep breath, tried to focus like Jake had taught him, but he couldn't. He could feel his heart pounding faster, his palms sweating. He shouldn't be afraid of Mary. He knew Mary, she was safe. She wouldn't hurt him, right?

Claire blinked, eyes widening when Ben started shaking. She knew his group was for kids from really bad homes but she didn't understand what he could be afraid of. Mary wouldn't hurt them.

She crouched slightly, so that she was more on the short teenager's level. The starvation he had gone through had kept him from having a growth spurt just yet. "Benjamin, look at me. Open your eyes please." She ordered briskly, waiting until dark eyes met hers. "Deep breath in and hold it. Good, now breathe out. And in."

He breathed out, listening to her calm voice. He kept following her pattern until he felt the calm reach his centre, when he felt his heart slow and his stomach stopped churning. "I'm okay." He stated finally, keeping his eyes locked with the older woman.

"That's good. Do you want to tell me what's going on?" She inquired calmly, fighting down a sigh when he glanced at the teenage girl. She wouldn't get anything from him right now, but she had hope that teenager would tell her or Jake later.

He shook his head, glancing at Claire again. As much as he knew it would make him feel better, he couldn't say anything in front of her. Even though he did like her, he didn't trust her. He only trusted his group and their counselors to keep his secrets, to understand why he had panic attacks, why he couldn't always keep it at bay. "Can we head back to camp?"

She nodded, shaking her head when the boy quickly took off before turning her eyes to Claire. The sadness and confusion on the child's face pulled at her heart. "It wasn't you, Claire, and it wasn't your fault. Sometimes these things happen and that's okay." She remarked gently, catching the teenager's eye.

She hesitated, biting her lip for a moment. Maybe she should have asked him before she kissed him but she was certain he liked her too. She just didn't want to cause him pain. "Will Ben be okay?"

"He will be with time. Everyone at camp this summer just needs a bit of time to heal and grow. Give him some time." The amount of growing Claire had done in these short few weeks showed her, at least, that all of these kids just needed a bit more time to heal. Time to learn how to be themselves, how to be healthy, and how to let others in. It would take a bit longer with her and Jake's group, but she did have hope.

-x-

Two cups of tea later and he was watching the sun set over the forest. While the teenage boy was still leaning on the railing, a cup of tea in his hands, he knew the younger man was calmer. Hopefully calm enough to be willing to tell him what had happened. But Isaac barely spoke as it was, so he wasn't expecting miracles here. "I know you are angry Isaac. I just want to help."

"I don't need help." He grumbled, keeping his eyes focused on the grounds. He wasn't going to sit down and he wasn't going to give in. He was perfectly capable of handling his brother, they had no right to interfere.

"Alright."

He blinked, turning his head slightly to glance at the healer. While he wasn't sure how long they had been out there, he knew it had been at least two hours. He hadn't expected the healer to give it so easily. "Can I go now?"

"Not yet. Are you hungry?" He forced down a sigh when the teenager glared at him before turning back around. He knew that the boy probably hoped that he would give it but he wasn't. He had been a healer since before Isaac had been born. Hell, before Alexis was born even. Eric was well aware that if he waited long enough the teenager would either get angrier and go off or give in and talk to him. Either way, they weren't leaving until the child told him what had made him so angry, though he did have guesses.

"Fuck off. I'm leaving." Isaac stated after several more minutes of silence, stalking from the railing toward the door. He turned the handle, growling when the door didn't budge. "Let me out!"

So it was going to be angry then. "No." He grimaced, stopping the tea cup from hitting him but he couldn't keep the tea itself from landing on him. He ignored the stickiness, raising an eyebrow at the teenage boy. To be fair, he looked shocked about what he had done. He kept his eyes focused on the teenager, quite aware that the boy was trembling from fear instead of rage now. He set the cup on the little table, keeping his movements exaggerated. "While I don't appreciate having cups thrown at me, I am not angry Isaac. I will not harm you." He stated calmly, meeting the child's eyes when they briefly flew to his.

"But I tried to hurt you." He protested, frowning slightly. He would have never thrown something at his father, although he had fought back to protect his brother a few times. He knew his father would have beaten him harshly for what he had just done. He wasn't even sure why he had done that. He was angry, sure, but he didn't have a death wish, not today at least.

He sighed softly, gesturing toward the chair next to his. He knew exactly what the teenager was doing, even if the boy hadn't realized it yet. He was testing him to see what his response would be. "I'm not going to beat you, Isaac. Come sit down." He waited a few minutes before beckoning to the teenager once more. "I promise I will not harm you, Isaac. I just want to talk to you." He reassured again. The trembling teenager reminded him so much of Remus in that moment, of the first time his eldest had lost his temper. He had to swear an oath on his magic to get Remus to believe him, that first time. He had a feeling he might have to do that with Isaac.

He grimaced, backing up even further. Talking was never just talking. His father had tried that trick a time or two before he had wised up. He couldn't get off the terrace but he could try to put some space between them, to delay the inevitable. "I didn't mean... I'm sorry!"

"Look at me, Isaac." He ordered calmly, waiting for those brown eyes to met his. There was a small bit of fear in those eyes but there was more resignation than anything else. It wouldn't matter what he said, the child would believe he was going to be beaten regardless. "I know you do not believe me and that is alright. But I swear on my magic that I will not harm you. You will not come away from this bruised and beaten."

But an oath on magic was serious! It couldn't be broken easily, because the user could permanently lose their magic. If Eric swore on his magic that he wouldn't hurt him, he knew the older man wasn't bluffing. He had seen the brief flash of magic after all. He just wasn't sure why. Why would the older man swear an oath to not harm him when he had thrown a cup at him? His father had beaten him for much less. Hell, he never would have thrown a cup at his father.

"But...why?"

He bit back a sigh, holding the child's gaze. "Why?" He knew what the child was trying to ask but he also wanted Isaac to verbalize it, as well as he could.

"Why...why would you do that?"

"I know you do not trust easily and I wanted you to feel a little bit safer. While I wouldn't harm you, I knew that an oath on my magic might help you believe that. You have been conditioned to fear and obey. It will take time for you to trust Tim and I, and that is alright. Until then, the oaths will hopefully help you feel just a little safer." Eric explained calmly. There was not as much fear in those eyes now, as the teenager nodded. He had known that swearing an oath would build trust, however temporary. Now he just had to get the child to open up some.

He blinked, staring at the older man for a long moment. He had taken an oath to make him feel safer? But if he violated that oath, his magic wouldn't be the same. He was almost certain that healer wouldn't beat him now, unless he didn't care about his magic. "I apologize for throwing that at you. It was childish of me." He remarked finally, dropping his eyes back to the patio. He didn't even feel as angry now, even if it was still under the surface some.

Eric turned his eyes back to the grounds, hoping that would help Isaac feel more comfortable. "Would you like to tell me why you are so angry?"

He grimaced, biting his lip. The man with skin darker than his wasn't looking at him, which did help. He had said it nonchalant, almost like he didn't care but he knew he did. "I...Damien is my responsibility. I can take care of him just fine without help." He answered, gazing out over the grounds. It really was beautiful, especially as it became darker out. He had a feeling that the grounds would look beautiful under the night sky from here. So beautiful that he might even had to paint it.

"You are not an adult, Isaac. It shouldn't have to be your responsibility to raise your brother." He replied calmly, ignoring the glare shot his way.  
"I don't need help!"

He sighed softly, turning his eyes back to the teenager. He understood where the boy was coming from, he really did, but he wasn't an adult. Damien wasn't his responsibility. Rather the preteen was his and Tim's responsibility, as soon as the paperwork was filed. "That's not what I said, Isaac. You have done a good job taking care of your brother. But it isn't your job to take care of him anymore. We talked about Tim and I becoming your guardians, which means we would be responsible for raising the two of you." He paused for a moment, catching the boy's eyes once more. "Wouldn't it be nice to be able to just be a teenager? To not have to worry if your brother was eating properly, if his shot's were up to date, if he was taking proper care of his hair. It wouldn't make you his brother any less. But you wouldn't have to be his parent any more."

He blinked, chewing on his lip for a moment. He had no idea if his brother had even had shots or been to a doctor in the last several years. That hadn't occurred to him. He just knew he had to take care of and protect his brother. Because they wouldn't stick around. No one every did. "No. It's my job!"

"Why?"

"Because you'll leave!" He snapped before grimacing. He hadn't meant to say that, because he almost didn't want it to be true. The two men were growing on him and he knew Damien liked them. Hell, sometimes he was even jealous of how safe they made Damien feel.

"We won't." He shook his head when the child started to protest. "Listen to me for a moment please, Isaac. We won't leave. Nothing you or Damien, or even Rose, does could push us away. Our magic is already forming bonds with the three of you. It has only done that twice before. Even if it didn't form those bonds, Tim and I keep up with every apprentice and ward we have ever had. I've been working a very long time, Isaac, and I have had many apprentices. I haven't forgot a single one of them. But you and Damien and Rose? You are more than apprentices and wards to us. Our magic is forming familial bonds with yours. I have a book on familial bonds if you would like to read it. We would never break a bond as special as that. You cannot drive us away. I know you are afraid to let us in because you are afraid of the pain if we leave. But we won't leave. I can promise you that." He had raised two very stubborn teenagers who were now mostly well-adjusted adults and who both knew they were loved unconditionally. While it still pained him that they hadn't been able to adopt Alexis, no matter the bonds they had formed with her, she was still a part of their family and it brought Filius in to it as well. He understood the teenager's fears but they would not abandon any of the children currently staying in their quarters.

He hesitated, thinking it over for a few minutes. He didn't know much about familial bonds but he knew he could research them to see if the man was telling the truth. He thought he was though, he just wasn't sure if he wanted to trust them just yet.

-x-

Alexis bit back a smile, observing the camp lounge from her chair for a moment. Almost every one of the counselors had a lap full of preteen. This happened nightly the closer it got to bedtime because even the most withdrawn, angry preteen wanted comfort sometimes. There were some, like little Ben, who had never been held before and craved the physical contact. And then there were some, like the young teenager curled into her side who had just had a tough day. She kept an arm wrapped around Milo, glancing at the shifting teenager for a moment before turning back to the papers on her lap. Her eyes darted back up at the shriek, tightening her hold on Milo, who had buried himself into her side. She wasn't even sure who had screamed, since Lila was calmly sitting on Jake's lap and Anna was on Kate's lap.

Henry sighed softly, moving causally toward a very unhappy preteen. It would only take a moment for the other counselors to realize what was happening, but he knew he needed to intervene now before this went any further. "Louis." He said softly, catching the boy's eyes for a moment before the dark eyes looked away. "Let her go please."

"No."

While he wasn't sure why the young preteen had hold of the girl's wrist, he did know that he was hurting her and that she clearly had not agreed to this. "I know you are angry, Louis. But you are hurting Melody." He responded calmly, kneeling so that he was on level with the two children who had been sitting on the floor. Melody kept trying to pull away from the boy and he knew that soon it would get violent. Not because the girl was violent, but because he was pretty sure Louis was going to be violent if he couldn't get him under control quickly.

"No!" He tightened his grip and yanked hard, smirking when she shrieked again. Louis didn't care if he hurt her, she had hurt him first, even if she had said she didn't mean it. It didn't matter. She had hurt him so he was going to hurt her, even if it did make him feel a little bad inside. But he didn't understand those emotions, he had always hurt the kids at his primary school if they were mean to him. So why couldn't he here? That was the way it worked, right? He was suppose to hurt those who hurt him, right?

Alexis went to move, frowning when a hand grabbed hold of her arm. "I think Henry needs my help, Milo. I'll be back."

"No Alexis. Stay. He will hurt you." He pleaded, eyes focused on the older woman. If he let her leave she would get hurt, he just knew it. But he also knew she was an adult and the headmistress so he couldn't really stop her. He just had to keep her here for a few minutes longer. Just long enough so that she would be safe.

She sighed softly, her eyes catching Phil's for a moment. Jake and Charlie both had a child sitting on their laps, Mary was somewhere and Kate looked slightly terrified of the child. Hopefully Phil and Henry could get it under control while she tried to convince Milo to let go. "I'll be careful Milo. But he is hurting Melody and we don't want that to happen, right?"

"He'll hurt you."  
She fought the urge to roll her eyes, meeting the young teen's eyes for a moment before turning back toward where Louis and Melody were. He was an eleven-year-old untrained boy, there wasn't much harm he could do to her.

"Let go of Melody please, Louis." Phil ordered calmly, crouching down on the other side of the boy, making sure that he wasn't so close that Louis would feel trapped. He knew the child well enough now to know that he was angry and Melody had probably accidentally set him off. "I know you are angry but we have talked about this. You can't hurt someone just because you are upset."

He scoffed, shaking his head. He could hurt her if he wanted too. He had freedom to make his own choices, isn't that what his counselor always told him? That he could make his own decisions. And while Louis knew he might feel bad about it or not like the consequences to his actions, she had been teasing him. She had hurt him first. So he wanted her to feel his pain because he felt so much pain today. "Leave us alone."

Henry frowned, eyes narrowing at the brief flash of pain in those dark eyes. He tilted his head, ignoring the child's overwhelming anger for a moment and studying the boy's body language. While he had noticed the child's rage immediately, it wasn't the rage that concerned him. Louis was an eleven-year-old boy, while he could hurt Melody, he didn't think he would do much harm to her. No, it was the pain the child shoved down and the fear that made his hand tighten around Melody's wrist. It was fear that made the child's movements stiff and tense. He had a feeling he could make an educated guess about why Louis was so upset. "What does today mean to you, Louis?"

He shrugged, dropping his eyes to the ground but keeping his hand around Melody's wrist. He could always pull on it again the distract the man if he needed to. "Leave us alone." He repeated, grimacing when Phil settled down beside him. He definitely might have to hurt her again, because he was not talking about this. He was angry and she had hurt him. That was all that mattered.

"We can't do that, Louis. Not when you are hurting someone." Henry sighed softly, keeping it to himself that he was actually beginning to believe that the child might harm himself. The child's grip had relaxed on the blond girl's wrist but the little girl didn't try to pull away.

"I'm sorry I teased you Louis. I wasn't trying to hurt you." Melody stated softly, meeting the boy's dark eyes for a moment before finally tugging her wrist free. She knew that the boy wanted to be angry and she had been a close target. She had dealt with bullies in primary school, after all. But she also knew that while Louis got angry and violent, it wasn't her he was mad at. Like all the other preteens there that summer, she knew he had demons of his owns. Just like she did.

He hesitated, glancing at her wrist, which she had pulled closer to her body, before meeting her eyes. While Melody had upset him, he did know that his counselors wanted him to learn to handle his anger. But he wasn't angry at her. She was just there. "It's okay. I'm sorry I hurt you." He responded flatly, eyes going back to the floor.

The emotionless tone of the preteen could fool many but Phil had been working with him for a couple of weeks now and he was well aware that the boy was still very angry. He waited until the preteen girl had finally stood and left before sliding a bit closer to the child. " Would you like to talk about it?"

"No."

"It'll make you feel better." Henry remarked quietly, making a mental note to keep a close eye on the preteen, even closer that he already was. Because there was an inkling of darkness in those young eyes,an anger so strong that he was afraid the child might harm himself or seriously injure someone else.

"No it won't." Louis scowled, keeping his eyes locked on the floor. He had no idea why adults said stupid things like that. Because it wouldn't make it better. It would make it real and real was painful. At least in his head he could force it down, push it away. He wasn't going to talk about it. He'd rather just hit somebody.

Phil bit back a sigh meeting Henry's eyes for a moment. He knew they would get nothing out of the child now. And as much as he wanted to send the child to his bunk room to think about his actions, he was almost afraid to let him be alone, because he wasn't quite sure what the boy might do. "If you change your mind about talking, we are here for you. Now, since you hurt Melody, you are going to come sit with me for the remainder of the night." He stated firmly, meeting angry blue eyes until they darted away.

"I apologized." He grumbled, clenching his fist for a long moment. He hadn't meant the apology of course, but that shouldn't matter. It wasn't his fault that Melody had made him angry, even if that hadn't really been her fault either.

He shook his head, sending a quick look to Henry. He should have it from here and he would call for help if he needed it. He had discussed consequences with Louis repeatedly, as had Charlie. "We talked about this Louis. What happens when you hurt someone?"

He slammed his fist into his leg, ignoring the person standing up. He knew Phil wouldn't leave him, so it had to be Henry. He didn't like Henry, the older man was always around, always watching him. He didn't like it. "No."

"No?"

"I'm not going to."

He fought the urge to roll his eyes. Did the child really think that he wouldn't follow through because he didn't want him to? They had discussed this with Louis repeatedly and they would always follow through. If he hurt someone he would have to sit with one of them or spend the remainder of the day in his bunk, with nothing to entertain him. "That's not an option Louis. But you do have a choice. We can continue to sit on the floor or you can come sit on that couch with me." He caught the child's hand before he could slam it into his leg again.

He didn't want to, he hated sitting with one of his counselors. It made him feel like he had done something wrong. He wasn't even sure that what he had done, this time, wasn't wrong. He just didn't want to obey. But Louis could also see how the Headmistress was looking at him. He would much prefer to sit with Phil instead of her. He didn't want to see that disappointment. "Fine." He huffed finally, standing slowly before moving with Phil toward an empty couch.

-x-

If it wasn't for the small bit of light, he would be in total darkness, which was frightening enough on its own. He took a slow step forward, trying to see what was outside of the small circle of light. He had a bad feeling about this. He squinted for several minutes before taking a few more steps forward. He frowned when his foot kicked something that he couldn't clearly make out. He stopped for a moment, lighting up his wand. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the now brightly lit room before he caught sight of what he had kicked, of what was surrounding him. Bodies, Dozens of broken, battered bodies. Bodies he easily recognized . He fought down the urge to scream, to call out, eyes searching for a way out. If he looked too closely he wouldn't be able to escape. He would break.

His partner's mumbles had been the first thing to wake him. Remus watched him for a moment, tilting his head slightly. He was almost certain that Severus was in the middle of a nightmare. "Severus, wake up. You are safe. You are at Hogwarts." He hesitated for a moment, wanting to touch his partner but also he knew that if Severus was too deep in the dream, he would lash out.

He blinked, glancing at where he could have sworn the body of his daughter had been before stumbling backwards. They were in front of him, moving toward him. But they were clearly dead. His children were Inferi. His family was coming toward him, with empty eyes and chilling smiles. This wasn't real. It couldn't be real. It took him a moment to realize that their mouths were moving, that they were talking. Inferi didn't talk, did they? He finally caught what his...what the inferi were saying. Severus paled, taking another step back. He had failed them. But how? He never would have left them, never would have stop fighting for them. "No!"

"It's okay. It's okay. You have to wake up now, Sev. It's just a dream." Remus stated firmly, avoiding the flailing limbs with ease of practice. Severus hadn't had an episode like this in a while. He only lashed out in his sleep when he was dreaming of the war. While he hadn't had a PTSD moment in a while, he really wasn't surprised. He gently caught his wrist, rubbing his thumb against his hand. "Shh. It's okay. You are at Hogwarts, in our quarters. It's okay."

He fought for a moment longer before his eyes flew open and his hand reached for a wand that wasn't there. He gasped, bolting upright, ignoring the sweat covering his face as his eyes darted from corner to corner of their bedroom. It only took a moment for him to realize someone had his wrist. He jerked, eyes going to the man next to him.

The wild look in his partner's eyes was unnerving. He hadn't seen that look in a long time. Severus looked terrified. "It's okay, Severus. Take a deep breath. Good. Now let it out. Breath in. You are in our bed, you had a nightmare." He waited several minutes for his breathing to even out and the desperation to fade from his eyes before wrapping an arm around his partner's shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked quietly, now that he seemed a little calmer.

He turned, burying his face into his soon to be husband's chest for a brief moment before the soldier in him took over. Every time he closed his eyes he saw his children's faces. He needed to make sure they were safe, he needed to check on them. But he couldn't force down that fear. He took a deep breath, trying to force himself to calm down. The hand on his shoulder was helping a little, it helped ground him in the here and now. He knew he was safe now but it wasn't his self that he cared about. "I-I need to check on the children." He said once he managed to force the fear down enough to form words. The urge to make sure their children were safe was quickly winning over the fear. He palmed his wand, eyes focused intently on the door to their bedroom. Anything could be on the other side of it but he had to check on his children, on his family. He had to make sure they were safe.

He squeezed his hand, gently moving his arm from the younger man's shoulder. It had been a while since he had seen Severus like this, which meant that this dream had to be a PTSD dream, even if parts of it probably weren't exactly as they had happened. "Okay. Let's go check on them." Remus stood slowly, moving around to Severus' side of the bed and holding his hand out to the other man. It took a minute for a warm hand to take his and he gently pulled him to his feet. He wrapped an arm back around his partner, letting the man lead them.

He carefully opened the door to Karrie's room where Harry was sprawled on one side of the bed and Karrie was curled up on the other. He watched their chests rise and fall for several minutes before stepping back and gently closing the door. He moved toward their living room, glancing toward the floo. He needed to make sure Alexis and the boys were alright as well. He wouldn't be able to calm completely down if he didn't make absolutely sure that everyone was okay and where they were suppose to be. He kept his wand clutched tightly in his hand, stepping slowly into the floo and waiting for a moment for Remus to join him. He would have preferred it if Remus had his wand as well but that couldn't be helped right now. He would fight for both of them if he had to.

He stepped through to Alexis' office, fighting a smile at the sight of the young headmistress. She was sound asleep, her head resting on her arms with a piece of parchment stuck to her cheek. "I'll carry her." He knew from experience that Severus would not put his wand away until he knew that everyone was safe and accounted for. He hadn't even seen the younger man grab it. He just hoped that all three of the boys were asleep because he knew that if Severus was startled, he would hex first and ask questions later. He bent down, carefully picking up the younger woman and cradling her in his arms.

Severus moved cautiously into Alexis' quarters, eyes darting from corner to corner before he slowly opened the door to her bedroom. He gazed around the room before nodding to his husband and stepping back out into the hallway. He went silently from room to room, stopping at the one with a messy, empty bed. Where was Elijah?

Remus finished getting Alexis tucked into bed, moving out into the hallway. He tilted his head, eyeing the dark eyed man's still body. From the tension he could see, he knew something was wrong. "Sev?"

He spun, wand still tightly in his hand before relaxing slightly. It was just Remus. But where was that child? He tensed at the sound of a door opening, trying to move around that man who was now firmly between him and the danger. But he didn't have his wand! He had to protect them!

"It's just Elijah, love. He was in the bathroom." He stated calmly, blocking the child from his partner. He knew Severus wouldn't hurt the boy, but he also knew that Severus wasn't exactly in a good mental space right now. He gestured for him to move to the side, so the half asleep child could make it back to his bed. The boy barely glanced at them, shrugging before falling face first back onto his bed. Teenagers.

He waited for several long moments, to make sure the child was asleep before carefully shutting that door and moving back toward the floo. Their quarters and Alexis' were clear. He would check on his children again as soon as he got back.

He followed the younger man back through the floo, shaking his head slightly when he immediately went to check on Karrie and Harry once more. Remus went into the kitchen to make tea, knowing that Severus would either come into the kitchen or sit in the living room. He knew that unless he could get his husband completely calm, since he had seen the frantic fear in those eyes when Elijah had opened the bathroom door, that neither of them would get any more sleep. He carried the tea tray out to the living room, sighing softly at the sight of the younger man pacing back and forth in front of the door to their quarters. "Come have some tea, Severus." He ordered briskly, setting the tray down on a table. As much as he wanted to spike it with a calming potion, he knew that Severus would smell it and think he was being poisoned. This wasn't his first rodeo after all.

He cautiously picked up a mug of tea, sniffing it before taking a slow sip. This was one of the herbal mixes he had made, he recognized the smell and taste of it. He took another careful sip before setting the tea back on the table and moving to guard the door once more. He would protect them. He would never leave them. He wouldn't let anyone harm his family. Not like that, not ever.

Remus sighed softly, glancing toward the potion cabinet. He knew that there was a PTSD potion that would help, one that Severus had designed, but it was always a fight to get Severus to take it. He had a feeling that that would be the only way he could get the younger man to tell him what was going on. He stood finally, deciding to at least try but froze, eyes locked on his husband. "It's just me, Severus. " He stated calmly, waiting for the wand to move off of him again. He couldn't make any sudden moves, he knew that. And as much as he wanted to just talk mind to mind, to use that to calm his partner, he knew that it would make things worse, not better. Severus wasn't thinking rationally right now. "I'm just going to get the PTSD potion, to see if it will help."

"I'm not experiencing flashbacks." Which wasn't exactly the truth, but he didn't care right now. He needed to be alert. He had to protect them.

He shook his head, moving slowly toward the cabinet. If that was the truth, he wouldn't be guarding their door like he was, he wouldn't have a deep fear hidden in those dark eyes.

"It's not in there." Which was the truth, actually. He had given all of the stock to Eric and Tim, for the students who had flashbacks. With all of the abused and neglected children that were there this summer, he had known that they might need it. He hadn't had a chance to brew any more of it, even if he thought Eric might still have some. "Eric has it for the children."

Of course he did. But that was a simple enough problem. All he had to do was contact his father to bring him a vial of the potion. Then the hard part was getting Severus to actually take it. Just enough of it to give him back the control of his own mind, just enough to fight the fear and panic he could see. "That's alright. I'm going to ask Eric to bring you one. Alright?"

"No. I need to focus." But if Eric came down, he could make sure that part of his family was safe as well. He had wanted to go check on them but he knew Eric and Tim had wards up to alert them if someone floo'd or knocked or called. They were healers, after all, and they were both light sleepers. He hadn't wanted to wake them, because he didn't want to talk about it. He needed to focus.

He touched a hand to his pendant, sending a message to his dads. If he couldn't get his husband's fear under control, he knew he was more likely to accidentally hurt someone or his self. "Eric is about to floo in." He informed calmly, so that Severus wouldn't be startled. They didn't need him to start hexing.  
He tensed, eyes focused on the floo with his back pressed to the door. He held his wand tightly, watching the dark skinned man who stepped out of the floo. It looked like Eric but that didn't mean it was. "What were your first words to me at the end of the war?"

Eric sighed softly, barely glancing at his son before focusing on Severus. "You can lower your wand now, son." He responded, waiting until the younger man did lower his wand, although he still clutched it tightly. The fact that both of the younger men were in their pajamas told him much. Neither had thrown a robe over their clothes, as he had done. So Remus had been in a hurry to keep up with a Severus currently reliving parts of the war, to prevent him from harming himself and others. "Can you tell me what's happening?" He was pretty sure of the answer.

"I need to focus." He started pacing again, eyes darting from the floo to the door. No one would harm his family. He could feel the smallest bit of calm but he knew that was their bond, that it was Remus. He wasn't actually calm. He was anxious and angry and alert. He had to protect them. That was his job. He wasn't sure what time it was but he would stay here all night if he had to. To protect them.

"Severus, I'm going to remove a potion from my pocket and set it on this table." He waited for the younger man to nod before slowly reaching into a pocket on his robes, carefully removing the potion he had stashed there when he got his son's call. He set it on the table, making sure his movements were exaggerated and clear. He wasn't quite sure what Severus was reliving but he knew they needed to figure it out fast, so that they could get him calm. He had been wondering when this would happen, with the war finally ending in its entirety only a few months before. It had pretty much been over a few years ago but the last ditch effort would have affected Severus, even if his only role in that last battle was to hold the wards of the castle, as all of the teachers had. And suddenly there were a few dozen abused and hurting children in the castle this summer and his responsibilities had doubled...they should have been expecting this. This shouldn't have come out of nowhere like this. Usually there were signs unless Severus had been hiding them, which was possible. "Do you know where you are, Severus?"

"In a castle." He responded, pausing for a moment. He had thought he heard a sound but it couldn't be. Not here. He paced the length of the room before taking up his position at the door, eyes darting from the floo to the door and back again.

That was almost a non-answer. For his partner to side-step like that was confusing. They wanted to help him and they couldn't do that if he wouldn't talk to them. Which made him wonder if the younger man wasn't willing to open up for a reason. If this was one of the worst moments of the war. Remus hoped not because that would make it harder to calm Severus down. "Why don't you take a sip of this potion, Sev? It will help."

"No, I have to focus. Have to stop it." He tilted his head, not stopping in the pacing. There was that sound again. But it couldn't be here, right? It wasn't here. It couldn't be. That was a different castle in a different part of the world. He wasn't there, he wasn't. Not again, never again.

"What do you have to stop?"

Remus frowned, feeling the ward to Karrie's room go off. One of the children was awake. Hopefully they were heading to the bathroom and not coming this way. "One of the kids is up." He stated calmly, meeting dark eyes when they darted to him .

"It's not safe! It's not safe!"

"You are at Hogwarts in your family's quarters Severus. You are safe. The children are safe." Eric reminded firmly, keeping his eyes locked on the rapidly moving young man.

"But they'll come! It's not safe!"

"It is, Sev. They-"

"Papa?" Karrie frowned, standing in the door way to the living room. She had had to go to the bathroom and she had felt the magic around her growing agitated, so she had decided to check it out. But she hadn't expected Severus to be looking at her like that, to have his wand trained on her. Like he was afraid. She tensed, locking eyes with the man and taking a slow step back.

"It's just Karrie, Severus." Remus moved slowly, standing and casually placing himself between the child and his partner. "You are scaring her. Lower your wand please. She is not a threat."

He caught sight of the girl's eyes, peaking at him from behind his partner. She didn't look afraid, just confused. But he knew those eyes, knew that magical cast on her leg, knew that un-brushed hair. He lowered his wand but didn't loosen his grip on it. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay."

"Let's get you back to bed, Karrie." Remus remarked quietly, turning and motioning for her to go. He followed the child back into the hallway, sighing softly when she stopped in front of the door to her room.

She hesitated, biting her lip for a moment. It had almost seemed like Severus had been somewhere else, had been stuck somewhere in his head. Like she was sometimes and the other kids in her group were. "Will Papa be okay?"

"He will be. You know the flashbacks that you have sometimes, when it feels like you are somewhere other than where you are? Papa is in the middle of one. " He explained softly, hugging the child to himself for a moment before she moved to open her door. He followed her back into her room, setting her crutches aside and tucking her back into bed. "Papa isn't himself right now but he will be soon. Go back to sleep, little one." He added, running his fingers through her hair until she started to doze off once more.

"It's not safe. It's not safe. They'll get hurt. Have to protect them." Severus muttered, grimacing at the noise he could barely hear. "They're almost here! Not safe!" He caught sight of the end table, lunging for it. He could block the door, it would keep them out. Couldn't let them win, he had to fight.

Eric raised an eyebrow, standing slowly. "You don't need to block the door, son. You are safe here."

"But they'll get in!"

"You are not where ever you believe yourself to be. You are safe at Hogwarts, Severus. I need you to take a deep breath and rest your hand on the wall. Feel the stone beneath your hand. You are at Hogwarts. Feel the hardwood beneath your feet. You are safe. " He directed calmly, hoping he could ground the  
younger man.

"What if they come? I have to be ready!" They could have surrounded them, they could be all around him. No one was going to harm his family. He would protect them with his life. "Can't you hear them?!"

"Who?"

"The Inferi! They will come!"

Remus closed his eyes for a moment before stepping slowly back into the room. He held his hands up in front of him, waiting for the younger man to lower his wand before moving fully into the room. Of course he would be in that castle, it that room. "I know how it scared you, being trapped in a room of Inferi. You are safe here. Hogwarts has a ward against them, remember? They can't reach you here." He reasoned.

"I'm going to bring this potion to you, Severus. I want you to take a sip, just a sip. It will help you clear your head. It will also help you focus." Eric remarked calmly, slowly picking up the vial and walking calmly to the younger man. He held the bottle out to him, raising an eyebrow. It took a few minutes but the dark eyed man finally took the vial.

He had to focus! But if he took a sip, he could plan his defense a little better. He studied the vial for a moment, recognizing it as a potion he had brewed. He hesitated for another minute before uncorking the vial and taking a careful sip of it. It took a few moments before his head felt a little clearer. He blinked, staring at the vial in his hand for a moment before placing it back to his mouth and downing half of it. What had happened was becoming clearly now. Severus groaned, handing the vial back to Eric and running his hand over his face. He loosened his hold on his wand, closing his eyes. He didn't want to face the two men in front of him, didn't want to talk about it. He almost harmed his own child! "Is Karrie..."

"She's asleep. She is very bright, Sev. She understands that you were experiencing flashbacks and would not normally act as you were." Remus reassured. He reached out slowly, knowing full well that while Severus was back with them, he would still be a bit hyper-aware and skittish. He gently grasped the younger man's wand, carefully taking it and moving to put it on the table.

"Come sit down, Severus. Have some tea." Eric ordered firmly, catching the younger man's eyes when they flew to his. He was well aware that he didn't want to talk about it, but he also was aware that he wasn't quite calm enough to go back to bed. The potion would help the longer it was in his system, as would talking about it.

He picked up his mug of tea, taking a sip of the still warm tea before setting it back on the table. He dropped onto the couch, burying his face in his hands. He felt the couch move on either side of him, leaning into his partner's side. The large warm hand resting on his knee was helping. His partner's arm wrapped around him was helping. He knew that both men would keep him safe, would keep him from going back there again. "I was trapped in the room of Inferi but it was different than it had happened." He started quietly, closing his eyes to fight the images once more. He was safe now, he knew that.

-x-


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Words in : : are signed.

"Hello Professor."

Alexis glanced toward the floo, nodding at the blond haired child. Narcissa had called first to make sure it was clear for the preteen to floo over. "Good morning, Luna." The little seer was a regular now, every Monday and Wednesday. Sybil was working with her on her natural abilities, which was helping the child sleep and eat better. She was learning to control her gift and that was doing wonders for Luna.

She skipped toward the door, turning around to say goodbye to the headmistress, it was part of their routine after all, but stopped. She tilted her head, frowning in thought. "Professor?"

"Hm?"

"Why do you have a shadow?"

She frowned, looking up from the parchment she had been reading. "A shadow?" She didn't think the preteen meant from the light. But then again, it was almost always hard to guess at what Luna might mean.

"You need to be careful, professor. You could get hurt." Luna responded before blinking. All she could do was warn her about it. She had a lesson to get to but she would check on the shadow again later. "Bye professor!"

"Have a good lesson, Luna." She replied, shaking her head at the skipping child who just left. It was just like Luna to make a vague statement like that and then not tell her what she meant. But she knew the girl well enough by now to know that Luna would explain in her own time. She turned her eyes back to the paperwork in front of her, sighing softly. She would have so much more time if there wasn't so much paperwork that needed doing.

-x-

"I just want to get out of here, Rose." Ariana sighed, leaning back against her bed, thumbing through yet another magazine. It felt like she had been in the infirmary for several weeks now, instead of the one week it had actually been. She was hoping that they would let her out of there soon, before the boredom drove her insane.

"I know that. But until they are certain that you won't harm yourself, they aren't going to let you leave." Rose responded, rolling her eyes before focusing on the fashion magazine once more. Ariana complained every day but the other girl wasn't even trying to hide the fact that she still wanted the hurt herself. If she really wanted out, she would hide her true intentions. Which told the emerging healer in her that Ariana really wanted help, she didn't want to fight this on her own. She could almost understand that except she would rather be left alone. Particularly because Tim was so aggravating, which was why she was hanging out with Ariana and not where she was suppose to be.

She really just wanted to go for a walk, to get some fresh air. She had already done all of her summer work and had finished several books. She had spent the last seven days playing board games with Emma, reading, writing in the journal Mary had given her, and talking. So much damn talking. But she knew it was helping a little. She didn't feel so alone anymore. But she was really starting to go stir-crazy from being in here for so long. "We could take a walk."

She snorted, shaking her head. There was no way Lucas would go for that. No way would they let Ariana leave the medical wing when they were still watching her for suicidal behavior. She picked up another mundane magazine, turning to the index. Mia's mum had started sending her old magazines with Mia when the little girl came for her potions. The woman had found out that there was a few older girls confined to the wing and decided to give them something to read. She loved the magazines, she liked looking at all the new fashions and hair styles.

"I'm going to ask Lucas." Ariana remarked several minutes later, setting aside her magazine. She knew Rose was perfectly happy to just read magazines, but the other girl could come and go freely, she wasn't stuck here, She stood up, walking toward the healer's office. She had seen him go in there not that long ago and she hadn't seen him leave. She knocked quietly on the door, flinching when it opened suddenly.

He hadn't meant to frighten her but he had been leaving his office anyway when she had knocked. "Is everything alright, Ariana?" She didn't usually seek them out and while she was doing better, he knew that she still had a few more days here.

"Can I please go for a walk? I need fresh air." She asked finally, eyes focusing back on the ground as she took a few steps back to allow him to leave his office. While she knew he would probably say no, she really did need some fresh air.

He thought about it for a few moments, sighing softly. She was still a danger to herself but he knew that she was also probably tired of being cooped up for so long. He could always take her to the medical wing's balcony. It was peaceful and she wouldn't be able to harm herself there, not that he would be leaving her alone. "We can do that if you are alright with me going with you."

She hesitated, glancing at Rose before turning back toward him. She knew the other girl would not go for that but she really did want to feel the sun on her face. She trusted Lucas enough now that she knew he wouldn't hurt her and that she would be safe with him. "Okay."

"Would you like to come with us, Rose?" He inquired, expecting the grumble and head shake that was her respond. If he was correct, the apprentice wasn't even suppose to be there. She was suppose to be in Eric and Tim's quarters. But he was sure Eric probably knew where she was. He gestured to Ariana, following her to the door of the wing.

She stopped, holding out the arm with her bracelet on it so that he could take off the spell that kept her from leaving the medical wing. She waited until he had fixed it before stepping through the doorway and following him down the hall. This wasn't going toward the ground floor, which was confusing. But not as confusing as the healer stopping and placing his hand on a bare stretch of wall. She gasped, staring at the door that appeared there. She stepped through it when he held it open, blinking at the view. They were on a balcony and she could see the grounds from here. What was better was that she could also feel the sun on her face and the breeze. "It's beautiful." She glanced at him as he settled down in a nearby chair. She debated for a moment, gazing between the chairs and the railing before moving to lean on the railing. When Lucas didn't move, she knew that even if she wanted to, she couldn't go over the railing. Ariana rested her arms on it, letting her eyes roam freely over the grounds. Maybe she should convince Eric and Lucas to bring Emma out here. The younger girl would enjoy being outside of her room.

Lucas studied the teenager for a moment before picking up the Healers Quarterly that someone had left on the little table. She was no danger to herself here and she wouldn't be able to leave without out him. His pendant would alert him if anyone enter the wing and he knew Tim was in with Emma, so he was just going to relax for a little bit while Ariana enjoyed the sunshine.

-x-

"You look tired."

"I'm not the one who was asleep at my desk at 3 in the morning." Severus retorted, not bothering to glance up from the pile of paperwork in front of him. They were working at her desk, trying to make a dent in the work necessary before the school year started. She was finalizing the class schedules, setting the times and dates for every class, and he was checking each student's class choices and requirements, to make sure every one of them was in the right classes before copying the times and dates for the classes onto their sheets

She snorted, shaking her head. She had figured that Eric had been the one to move her but when the older man didn't say anything about it and when Elijah mentioned that he had seen Remus and Severus, she had quickly made that connection. From the dark circles around his eyes and the way he had tensed, she was pretty sure she knew what had happened. "Remus didn't mention that to Eric or Filius, did he?"

He chuckled, shaking his head even as he turned the parchment over. He should lie, tell her that they knew, just so she would actually stay in her bed. But he was aware that it not work for very long. "Not that I am aware of. Elijah..."

"Is used to seeing Eric or Filius checking my quarters. He thought nothing about it. He wasn't even sure if it had been a dream or not. What happened?" She gazed between two sheets of parchment, frowning slightly before muttering a curse and running her hand over her face. Not again.

"All good?" He deflected, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Third year charms and history are scheduled at the same time for the same houses."

He swore softly, finally looking up from his work. That meant that half of the work he had just finished had to be redone. Again. They had finally gotten to the third years and that was where they were running into problems.

"Which houses?"

"Ravenclaw and Slytherin." She responded, finding the schedules for the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor houses. She groaned, throwing the papers back down. "And Hufflepuff and Gryffindor." How had she done that? Four houses which should have been two separate class periods. All four of them couldn't be in the same charms class at the same time. That was a recipe for disaster with that many preteens.

"How the fuck did you do that?" It was like she wasn't paying attention to what she was doing. Maybe it was time for a break. They had been at this for a few hours now. "What date and time dos the Hufflepuff and Gryffindors have history?"

"At the same fucking time. All four houses have charms and history 9-11, Tuesdays and Thursdays. " She grunted, staring blankly at the four sheets of paper. She needed another wide-awake potion and some more coffee. She leaned forward, picking up the coffee pot and pouring coffee into her almost empty mug.  
He sighed softly, glancing at the pile of parchment he thought was finished. He was going to have to change the schedules on all of the individual sheets, since all third years were required to take both classes. Which meant they would probably have to change the complete schedule for third years. "Why don't we take a break?"

She shook her head, glancing at him before digging in her pockets for the potion she knew she had. Alexis hesitated, waiting for a moment to see if he would look up from studying the schedules before carefully popping the cork and drinking half the potion. She re-corked it, pocketing it quickly. She didn't need a lecture right now but she knew if they took a break, it would be hard to get back into the rhythm they had. "Let's finish the third years and then we'll take a break." She glanced at the master schedule, finding the times for the first and second year charms classes. Filius had requested that his lower level classes be in the morning and she had set them up like that. She just had to figure out a way to change the third years without effecting the first and second years.

" Two hours of history?" He questioned after a moments thought, reaching over for the third year house schedules. He studied them for a moment before finding the problem. He picked up a pencil, scratching out the time for history before handing it back to her. "You had history in two spots." He remarked as an explanation, shrugging.

Of course she did. Scheduling was so much more difficult than say, healing a ruptured spleen. She was really starting to hate the paper work involved with running a school. "How the hell did Dumbledore do this in a day?" She grumbled, checking the first and second year schedules one more time before switching two of the third year houses to Mondays and Wednesdays at the same time.

"He used the exact same schedule every year for each year group and he cut classes out when it became harder to schedule the upper years." He replied, turning back to what he had been doing before. It became harder when electives were added to the mix but so far the electives were not the problem.

"Next year we are doing that." She muttered, checking over the four house schedules one more time, to make sure none of the core classes overlapped before quickly adding them to the master schedule. Third years were done and while a break would be nice, she had a lot of energy now. She would rather focus that into doing the upper level schedules and then into planning the trip to get school supplies and then-

He rested his hand on top of her shaking one, raising an eyebrow. "Look at me, Alexis." Her feet were tapping and her hands were shaking. It was almost like she had an energy potion, but he knew that was impossible. Perhaps it was her third cup of coffee but she wasn't usually this jittery.

"I'm fine. Just caffeine. Let's continue." She shrugged, shifting back and forth for a moment before picking up her pen once more.

He hesitated, tilting his head for a moment. Something felt off here. "It's time for a break, we've been working on this for almost three hours." They did need to take a break. For one, he had to go to the restroom and he knew that if he didn't take a break, she wouldn't either. He set his finished work aside, standing and stretching stiff limbs.

She shook her head, not looking up. "Go ahead. I'll be there in a moment." She wouldn't be but he didn't need to know that.

-x-

"Sit still please." Remus ordered for the fourth time, running a comb through a section of the boy's hair before carefully sniping it with scissors, to make it even. Louis did not like having his hair cut but the boy had desperately needed a hair cut, especially since he refused to wash his hair. They were in the room off of the camp that he had set up to look like a hair salon. Between Phil and himself, they were almost done with the younger boys group. The younger man was showing little Ben how to spike his newly cut hair. They had had more than one preteen boy who wanted dyed hair like Phil's, so instead of dying it, Phil had offered to teach them how to do spikes. He sighed, focusing his eyes back on Louis when the preteen jerked again. "I know you don't like having your hair cut, Louis.  
But if you can try to keep your head still, it will be done much faster."

"But I don't have lice! Why does it need to be cut?" His parents had never bothered with his hair if he didn't have lice. Why waste water to wash his hair if he didn't have lice? And they always shaved it off if washing it didn't work.

He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before returning to the task at hand. It wasn't the first time he had heard a child say that but it was the first child at Hogwarts. When he volunteered at a family shelter to do hair for the adults and children, there had been a few kids who had protested because they thought hair cuts were expensive. "Wouldn't it be nice if it was easier to brush? If it didn't hang in your eyes?" He suggested finally, moving to trim the other side.

Louis shrugged, glancing toward the other boy getting his hair cut. Ben had spikes. That was almost cool.

"I'll make you a deal. If you let me finish trimming it, I'll show you how to spike it." Remus offered, following the child's gaze for a moment. He had a feeling that all of the boys would start school with spiked hair.

"Why is your hair braided?"

He shook his head, knowing that the child couldn't see him. That was a diversion if he had ever heard one. He had heard that Louis tried to pretend he wasn't interested in what the other preteens did or said. But he had worked with enough children to know that even though the boy acted out and sometimes hurt people when he was angry, that he really just want to be able to be a kid and that he would never admit that he wanted his hair like the other boys. "I come from a mixed family. I often wore my hair in braids when I was a teenager because that was how one of my fathers wore his. Eric offered, so I let him put it in braids." He explained quietly. Honestly, he could have done it himself. But he loved it when his father braided his hair and Eric knew that. He had braided it at five that morning, because Eric had known it would be comforting. It wasn't as tight as Eric or Damian's braids,it wasn't even the box braids he had worn as a teenager. But the loose braids had been done in the middle of the night. He could redo it but he'd rather leave it for now. Eric had done it for him, after all.

"You have two dads? Wicked." Louis forced back a grin, trying to keep his face blank. He thought the braids looked cooled, cooler than the spikes even. "Mine's too short to braid."

"It is. But I can show you a cool trick I learned in college." He answered, running a comb through the boy's hair once more to make sure all of the strands were even. He quickly pulled a few sections up, creating a small ponytail at the top of the preteen's head. He secured it with a band before picking up the closest mirror. "How about that?"

"Wicked." It was cooler than spikes for sure and he even thought he could manage that on his own. Maybe he would have to wash it occasionally to make it go up like that. But he actually liked the small ponytail. It didn't look girly, for one thing. And it was different, it made him look different.

He took it that the preteen liked that hairstyle, then. It wasn't one every boy could pull off, but with Louis' dark hair, it actually fit the child. "I'm glad you like it. When you brush your hair, just pull up these strands in the back. Then you just have to secure it with a band." He instructed, taking the ponytail down and doing it again, so that the child could watch him using the mirror. If Louis could do it himself, he might be more willing to take care of his hair. Although preteen boys weren't particularly good at following basic hygiene practices.

He watched the older man's movements, committing it to memory. It was simple enough that Louis knew he could do it every morning if he wanted to. "Thanks Remus." He remarked quietly when the man finally gestured that he could go. While he wouldn't normally thank an adult, or anyone for that matter, he thought that the man deserved it. After all, no one else had ever done his hair like that. He hadn't even yanked at it, he had been gentle. He knew it probably wouldn't happen again but that was okay. Even if it was just a small kindness, he still wanted the man to know that he was thankful for it. He nodded at the man once more before going back into the camp.

Remus smiled, following the boy at a slower pace so that he could collect the next preteen due for a hair cut. At least the boys tended to be easy. He knew that even with Phil and Eric's help, it would still take several days to get all of the haircuts done.

-x-

She slipped silently into the medical wing, wanting to check on her roommate before heading back to the Headmistress' office. She stopped at the half-open door, listening for a moment to see if the other girl was alone. Luna finally stepped into the room, making sure she made some noise so that she didn't startle Emma.

She didn't look up from her sketchbook, knowing that it was either Luna or one of the older girls. Mia would be getting her potion treatment right about now and Lila was somewhere. The littlest girl tended to come and go as she pleased, which was alright most days. But right now she didn't really want the two younger girls there. Luna, on the other hand, was alright. She had shared a room with the other girl last year, after Flitwick had decided that  
Luna wasn't safe with her roommates. Which was fine with her because it meant she didn't have to deal with her old roommates either. Besides that, Luna didn't freak out when she had violent nightmares and she accepted Luna for who she was, oddities and all. "Hey."

"Hello. What are you drawing?" She replied, letting her eyes wander around the room for a moment before landing back on the sketch book. Emma was always drawing. The brown haired girl had shown her how to draw animals and while she was getting better at it, she was not anywhere as good as Emma.

She stopped her pencil for a moment, staring at the sketch she had almost finished. "Me." It was her, standing on top of a window seat, staring out one of the castle's window. She remembered what had happened now. And it hurt. It hurt so much.

She bounced over to the bed, tilting her head in question before climbing up when the other girl nodded. She stretched out on her stomach next to Emma, propping herself up on her elbow as she studied the drawing. "I saw it happen." She admitted after a moment, not looking at her friend.

"Did you know why?"

"No."

Emma hesitated before carefully resting her hand on the seer's. "You couldn't have stopped it, Luna. You couldn't have know that this would happen to me." She closed her eyes, swallowing hard. "It's my fault, you know. I was standing up there, thinking...thinking." She broke off, forcing the tears down.

Luna squeezed the hand on hers, turning her head to see the other girl. "It's okay, Emma. You are safe here. None of it can hurt you here."

She gave off a half laugh, half sob, forcing the surge of magic back under her control. Those were the words she had said to Luna, after one of the girl's dreams. "But it can. I can hurt me here. I did this!" She stopped trying to fight the tears, burying her head into her bed, shoving the sketchbook to the floor.

"But there are people here who care about you, who want to help you. They will keep you safe." She responded, grimacing at the pain in her head. She almost forced the vision away, wanting to focus on her friend, but her gut told her to let her eyes see it. She was getting better at controlling the visions, at not getting sucked so far into them that she couldn't get out, at not letting them overwhelm her. Most of the visions she saw would either never come to pass or was something she couldn't stop anyway, so she was learning how to let them go. Her eyes caught a glimpse of a destroyed room, of her blue eyes peeking out from under the bed. The tightening in her stomach made her feel sick. "It's okay, Emma. You are safe." She tried to reassure, biting her lip at the loud ringing in her ears.

"I know that! I know they care! But they shouldn't! Nobody should care about a worthless piece of shit like me!" She took a breath, forcing her magic back down again. She didn't want Luna to get hurt but she wasn't sure she could hold it in much longer. "GET OUT!" She shouted, closing her eyes at the overwhelming rush of magic.

She didn't hesitate, rolling off the bed and under it. She closed her eyes, covering her head with her arm to protect it, just in case something came flying down there. Hopefully, Emma could get her magic back under control before she hurt herself. Luna wasn't worried about getting hurt, but she wanted her friend to be safe as well.

She shrieked, trying to draw the magic back under her skin. But she couldn't stop it, she wasn't even sure she wanted too. She gave an even louder shriek when her armchair flipped over. She couldn't see Luna! She hoped the girl had run. She would never forgive herself if she hurt her friend. She took a deep breath, hiccuping through her sobs as her book shelf flew across the room and papers scattered. The toys and games they had give her were being tossed about. She couldn't calm herself, she couldn't force it down. She stopped trying to stop her sobbing, curling up on her bed.

"Emma!" Tim called out, cautiously stepping into the room. He had been in Eric's office, working quietly while his husband slept on the couch. He had been in here about an hour ago, trying to have a session with the young girl. She had refused to talk and he had finally left her with her sketch book and a new set of pencils. Drawing was her way of expressing and understanding emotions. He could see those pencils now, swirling in a mass of magic and paper.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"I can't do that Emma. Not when you are this upset. Take a deep breath for me. It is perfectly okay to cry. But I need you to regain control of your magic, ok?" He stated firmly, slowly moving toward her bed. He knew to be careful, that her magic could lash out at him, especially if it thought he was a threat. "Deep breath in. And release. Again. Breath in." He directed, stopping a few feet from her bed.

She tried, she really did. But she couldn't force her mind to calm down, to force her body through the meditation he wanted. She couldn't do this! Didn't he realize it was all her fault? That she had done this to herself? "I CAN'T! It's my FAULT!" She shrieked again, curling up tighter.

He eyed the swirl of visible magic he could see, magic that kept him from getting any closer. He wasn't quite sure what she blamed herself for but Tim knew he would have to figure it out if he wanted her to regain control before she got hurt. "What's your fault, Emma?" He asked softly, eyes resting on the sobbing child. She had curled up almost as if she was trying to protect herself from a beating, or perhaps from her magic.

"This! All of this! I did this!"

"Everyone gets upset and loses control sometimes. It's okay. I just need you to try to take a few deep breaths, okay?"

"NO! I did this to me! I caused this mess I'm in! It's my fault!" She screeched, taking a hiccuping breath before raising her head an inch to look at him. It was her fault. She knew that now, she knew what had happened. She had caused her magic to do this. She had caused the overwhelming sensation of magic within her. No one else.

So she remembered what had happened then. Perhaps that was why she had refused to talk to him earlier. He was well aware that remembering probably hurt. The child was already so scarred, so angry and hurting that he knew it must have been hard for her to keep control for this long. She hadn't had an incident in several days, even though they knew she still didn't have full control. "Can you tell me what happened?"

She hesitated, hiccuping quietly as the tears and snot continued to run down her face. "I-I was standing on the window seat, staring out over the grounds. And I was-I was thinking about- about jumping." She whispered, hoping that Luna, if she was still there, wouldn't hate her for it. She didn't think the blond would, they had become really good friends. But she knew that it would hurt her friend to hear that. To hear that she had wanted to die.

Her magic must have reacted, thinking that she had jumped and tried to save her. It wasn't unheard of, even if it was uncommon and he wasn't aware of it ever happening in a child Emma's age. "You didn't know your magic would react like that. Do you still feel that way?" He was hoping that she didn't, as she had been doing so much better.

She shook her head, taking a deep breath and started trying to pull the magic back into her. Tim's tone wasn't judging. No, it was full of concern and care. She had told him the awful truth and he had reacted so much different than she had expected. He didn't seem to hate her, so maybe Luna wouldn't either. "It's not all my fault?"

"No child. For your magic to mature from a fall, it would have had to be close to the edge to begin with. With the horrors you have been through and the things done to you this summer, it is quite possible that your magic would have matured anyway. It is perfectly okay to be upset, especially since you got your memories back. Let's try to rein your magic back in." He responded calmly, giving the child a soft smile when she completely uncurled.

She sat up, ignoring the tears still running down her face as she took a deep breath and held it. She counted to ten before releasing it. She could do this. She could try to control it. She had been doing so well. She still felt upset but not nearly as upset as before.

Something caused Tim to look down, raising an eyebrow at the blue eyes that looked up at him from under the bed. "Emma? Who is under your bed?" They were very lucky she hadn't been hurt.

"Luna!" She gasped, letting out the breath she had just taken. She could feel her magic calming down, the overwhelming feel of it fading.

She rolled out from under the bed, glancing at Tim for a brief moment before climbing back onto her friend's bed and carefully wrapping an arm around her. "It's okay to feel those things sometimes. I just don't want to lose you too."  
She bit her lip, pulling the last strands of magic back under control. Her room was a disaster. It always was after her magic lashed out. But she was getting better, she knew that. It was just so hard sometimes. "You won't. I promise. Friends forever, remember?"

"I remember." She glanced toward where Tim was repairing the room, before leaning into her friend. "We'll make it through this together." She promised before moving to pick up the sketchbook. She held it out to her friend, knowing that drawing would help her feel better.

Tim fixed the armchair, settling down in it before summoning his own work. One of them always stayed with Emma after she lost control, just so she wasn't alone with the emotional toil it took. Even though she had a friend there, he knew she wouldn't mind him staying. Just in case.

-x-

Lexie grimaced, trying to tune out the younger girl's screams as she held out a pair of unicorn underwear. Getting her showered hadn't been fun. But trying to get her to put on clothes? It was a nightmare. "You think we'd get in trouble if we just let her run naked?" She inquired, picking up the now wet pair of underwear. Every time they gave her an item of clothing, she threw it. If they tried to dress her, she screamed.

Hannah snorted, shaking her head. "If this wasn't a camp of abused kids, probably. I think if we let her run naked, Rani and Kate would understand." How the hell Ariana managed to shower and dress Lila by herself was what she wanted to know. It had taken both of them to get the child washed. Her hair had been a disaster that ended in both of them drenched. With Ariana still in the medical wing, Kate and Rani were desperate for help with Lila. And while Derek had taken over many of the things Ariana did, he couldn't bathe her. She wouldn't bathe herself and Kate had been trying to get her to bathe for four days. So Derek had asked them to help. While she didn't regret agreeing to help, she was just as protective of Lila as the other members of her group, she also hadn't expected to be soaking wet by the end of it. With a naked, screaming little girl.

She shrieked, dodging the older, dark-skinned girl and the shirt she had been trying to get over her head. She didn't want to wear clothes! She was clean! Wasn't that enough? Ari wouldn't approved but Ari wasn't here and Derek wasn't here, so she wasn't wearing clothes! "Nuhhhh!"

"I know you don't want to Lila, but you have to at least put on pants. You don't even have to wear underwear. Can we just do pants?" Lexie sighed at the responding shriek, meeting Hannah's green eyes for a moment. They might need to help.

"IEEEEEK!" She tore the pants from her hands, throwing it into the puddle of water. She stopped suddenly, tilting her head to watch it float. She stuck a toe in the puddle, grinning for a second before stomping her foot down in it to splash.

While the preteen was focused on the water, Hannah carefully started maneuvering a shirt over her head, grimacing when an elbow hit her. She wasn't sneaky enough, apparently, as the girl wiggled away from her.

"How about you only have to wear pants? Nothing else? Can we try that?" Lexie offered, shaking her head. The little girl wasn't developed at all yet, so honestly if they could just get pants on her, she didn't care if she wore anything else. The counselors could handle getting a shirt on her if they so chose. She just knew that there had to be a secret to this. How did Ariana manage this alone?

She shrieked again, dodging around the teenagers. She wasn't going to put on clothes! That meant she was done, right? So she could leave. She darted toward the door, giggling when the bigger girls came chasing after her.

"Lila! You have to have something on!" Lexie grimaced, darting after the little girl. Her legs were longer than Lila's so she knew she would catch up to her. She didn't expect to slip in a puddle of water, however. She groaned, sitting up slowly. At least she hadn't hit her head, although her ankle and leg were starting to hurt.

Hannah hesitated, not sure whether to check on Lexie first or go after Lila, before deciding that Lexie was sitting up and just looked disoriented. She sped after Lila, groaning when the girl made it out into the lounge. She was a step behind her, chasing her across the lounge. Oh gods, she hoped the little blond didn't make it out into the castle at large. That would be disastrous.

Mary blinked, taking in the sight of the stark-naked little girl and the soaking wet teenager chasing her with a forgot pair of underwear in her hand. It took all the control she had to not burst out laughing. She would definitely be showing that memory to the other counselors later. And Alexis, the younger woman would get a kick out of it. She stood quickly, moving to block the path of the running preteen. She raised an eyebrow at the girl, shaking her head. "Let's go get dressed, Lila." She ordered quietly, catching hold of the child when she tried to dart around her.

"Nuugghhh!" She shrieked, trying to pull away from the firm hand on her shoulder. She knew she could wiggle away if she just wiggled harder.

"Tell me why." She instructed, crouching so she was on the girl's level before adjusting her hold on her.

She loved the camp. Not a single one of the older teens batted an eye at Lila and most of the preteens were giggling, but she had a feeling that was more at her. Especially when she realized she was still holding the unicorn underwear that they had tried to convince Lila to wear. She turned her eyes back to Mary, wishing she had the same ability to take charge like that.

She grunted, wiggling her fingers in question. Did she really have to? When the older woman merely looked at her, she sighed. She should have known Mary wouldn't give in that easy. :Itchy.: She hesitated, trying to remember the sign for the other word she needed. She wasn't sure the woman would understand but she said :Tag: anyway.

Ah, that made sense. The girls must have grabbed some of her newer clothes, which they hadn't taken the clothing tags off yet. But that could be easily fixed. She had a feeling that the little girl also just wanted to run around naked. There was a place and time for that; it wasn't in the camp lounge. "I can fix that." At the girl's pout she knew she had been right. "Can I pick you up?"

She nodded, reaching arms up to Mary. The woman had never hurt her or Ariana before, so she knew she wouldn't hurt her. Plus Hannah was still near her. She wrapped her legs around her waist, moving her arms around her neck. She grunted again when the woman started toward the bathroom.

"Don't kick, Lila. It's not nice." She responded, nodding to Hannah when the girl held the door open for her. She strolled around to the shower side of the girls bathroom, frowning slightly at Lexie. The girl looked hurt. "Okay Lila, I'm going to put you down for a minute. I need to dry the floor off. Lexie, did you fall?" When the girl nodded, she sighed. Of course she did. She probably slipped chasing Lila. She would have to make sure she wasn't hurt after she got Lila dressed. She slowly removed her wand from its sheath, stilling when the two older girls flinched. Mary waited a moment, giving both of her girls a reassuring smile before casting a drying spell over the floor. She picked up the clothes that were strewn about, drying them before setting them back on the bench. "Let me teach you a trick, girls." She stated, picking Lila up and standing her up on the bench. She then picked up the pair of underwear, quickly checking it for a tag. Deeming it tag free, she turned to the little girl, holding it right at ankle level. "Foot up." She ordered.

Her mouth dropped open, staring at Mary as Lila lifted one foot and then the other, allowing Mary to slide the underwear on. Was this some kind of spell? How had she managed that in seconds, when they had spent a good fifteen minutes begging and arguing and reasoning with her?

She lifted the pink shirt, vanishing the tag from it, before showing it to the girl. "Arms up." She ordered again, slipping it over knobby little arms and carefully easing it over the girl's head. She tugged the shirt the rest of the way down before gently removing the girl's hair from under it. She picked up the jeans, removing the tag before raising an eyebrow at the folded arms, pouting little girl. "Almost done, Lila. Foot please."

She grunted, lifting one foot slowly and then the other. When the woman pulled her jeans up, she reached down, tugging up the zipper. She liked doing the zippers. It was the only real part of dressing she enjoyed. Her hands tried the button for a few moments, before she shrieked. She hated buttons, her hands weren't good at them.  
Mary took over, quickly buttoning her jeans for her. She glanced at the socks and shoes before shaking her head. The preteen tended to run around barefoot most days anyway and it wasn't worth the fight. She lifted her up, giving her a quick squeeze before setting her on the ground. "Thank you, Lila. Go play." She instructed, smiling when the child promptly took off.

"How did you do that?" Lexie question, grimacing when the woman came over to where she was sitting.

"May I scan you for injuries?" She requested. At the nod, she slowly withdrew her wand. "I didn't ask her to get dressed. I made it an order that was non-negotiable. Simple instructions and a firm tone are usually all it takes. How do you think Kate and Rani get her to dress in the morning? Bathing is an entirely different subject and that's going to be a battle until she's older." She explained, stashing her wand before gently picking up the girl's foot. She felt around her ankle, shaking her head. "You twisted it."

So that was why it hurt. She knew that was an easy fix though. "I guess next time we will try that first." Lexie shrugged, watching the older woman wrap her ankle. She knew there would be a next time. Even though the little girl could dress herself, usually, she didn't like wearing clothes and she certainly didn't like bathing. Hopefully it would be easier the next time.

-x-

"Come on, Paul. We have a meeting to attend." Eric stated firmly, raising an eyebrow at the younger man. He had a feeling they both could benefit from going to a meeting, but he was aware that the younger man might not appreciate it.

He hesitated, biting his lip for a moment. As much as he knew meetings would help him keep his sobriety longer, he also knew he couldn't go. He had been kicked out of and banned from every wizarding alcoholics anonymous meeting. "I can't. I have work to finish."

He shook his head, locking eyes with the younger man until he finally looked down. "There will always be work. But you are off-duty right now and you are coming to this meeting with me." He replied, frowning when the young man shook his head. He wasn't quite sure what was causing the other man's reluctance. While he hadn't been to a meeting in a while, he knew that he, personally, had always felt welcome at meetings and that they always helped, especially on bad days. But perhaps Paul had had a bad experience or two. He had known that the younger man had been ordered, by his old master and the healers guild, to attend meetings for a certain period of time. While that time might have passed, a meeting couldn't hurt.

"I can't." He closed his eyes, blushing. He didn't want to tell the dark-skinned healer the truth, but he knew he would have to. He just wasn't sure he would believe him. "I can't attend a meeting. I've been banned from almost every group in Scotland, Ireland, England, and Wales." He explained finally, finding the floor extremely interesting. Who knew teenagers left that many scuff marks?

Ah, that made sense then. "We weren't going to a magical meeting. I find them too...stiff and formal. We are going to a mundane meeting. Now, come on. We have to get past the wards to apparate. I would prefer not to be late." He ordered, turning and heading down the hall way. He knew the younger man would follow.

He blinked, thinking it over for a second before falling in step behind the older man. No wonder he had told him to leave his robe. He still had his wand, of course, but it had a shield around it that kept it hidden. He only wished the journey out of Hogwarts had taken longer. He wasn't sure how he would feel about going to a meeting with the Head Healer of the school who also happened to be a guild enforcer. He wasn't sure if Eric remembered, but he was actually the reason he had been forced to go to meetings in the first place. But he wasn't really being forced now. He knew if he protested on some other basis, Eric would have let it go. Paul also knew the older man would have kept pushing him until he had found out exactly what was going on. He flinched at the hand on his elbow, turning his eyes back to the older healer. The way he was looking at him told him that he had missed the question. "I'm sorry, what?"

Clearly the younger man hadn't been paying attention to him. They were now at the apparition point and it would be easier, this time, if he side-alonged Paul, since the younger man didn't know where they were going. "Is it already if we side-along? There's a specific alley that we need to land in." He repeated, tighting his grip on the younger healers elbow when the other man nodded. He turned on the spot, bracing himself for the whirling images before landing on his feet in an alley. His hand on the younger healer's elbow kept him standing.

He blinked rapidly, waiting for the dizziness to recede before glancing around them. He hadn't side-along apparated in years. He wasn't quite sure where they were but he could hear cars nearby.

"This way." He directed, walking down the alley and turning onto a main street. He kept walking for a few blocks before turning down a side road. He stopped in front of a small, brick building, glancing toward the younger healer.

"Ready?"

Of course he wasn't. He hadn't been to a mundane meeting before but he was sure it would be similar to magical ones. But he wouldn't get kicked out of this one for showing up drunk or cursing someone for taunting him. For one, he was pretty sure Eric would kick his ass. He also wanted to keep his sobriety, he wanted to stay sober. Because there were teenagers who needed him and they needed him sober. "I guess."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "They won't eat you." He moved up the few steps, holding the door open for the younger man. "This won't be like any of the meetings you have attended and I will be here the whole time." He reassured after a few minutes of the younger man just staring at the doorway.

He hesitated a moment more before following him inside. He hoped he was right. He moved a bit slower than the older healer, following him down a hallway. He stopped outside the large room Eric had enter, taking a deep breath. It was just a meeting. He wasn't drunk, he didn't want to drink, and he did actually know someone there. He was almost sure he wouldn't get in trouble here.

"Eric! About time you came back to us! It's been a while."

"I know, I know. I recently changed jobs, Kenny. So hopefully I'll be able to attend regularly once more." He shrugged, clasping hands with the other man. He recognized several of the people there, people he had known for years now. But there were also several new comers that he didn't know. That was alright. This had always been a safe space for him and he was hoping it could become one for Paul. If he could get the man to come regularly, he would make a great healer for Henry in the long run.

"You're not with the hospital anymore?" That was a shock. The man was one of the best pediatric doctors that he knew and Kenny also knew how much money he had made as director of a childrens hospital.

"I needed a change. I'm working as a doctor at a boarding school now. This is one of the doctors under me, actually. He's a counselor." Eric smiled, gesturing toward Paul.

"First meeting?"

He blinked, glancing toward Eric before turning his eyes to the woman who had spoken to him. "First in a while." He shrugged, trying to keep himself from staring. But her clothes were very revealing and she was very pretty.

"Lidia, leave the poor boy alone." Eric called out, frowning slightly. "He is my sponsee and you know how I feel about that."

"Hmpf."

Kenny shook his head, eyes going around the room for a moment. "Let's give it five more minutes and we will start." He called out, waiting for their nods before turning back to Eric. "Give her a break, Eric. She's getting better. She even has a good job now. And she's clean." He added quietly, keeping his eyes on the younger woman and Eric's newest sponsee. He glanced at the time again, quickly deciding that if anyone else was coming, they would have already been there. Almost all of the regulars were there and he saw a few people who were there for the first time. "Let's get started."

-x-

"Ten."

"Fifteen!"

"Without magic, Harry. " Teddy repeated, rolling his eyes. There was no way Harry could throw a disc fifteen meters, not without magic.

He shrugged, testing the weight of the flat disc that Charlie had given them to play with. All of the boys in their group were tossing them back and forth to each other. While he had seen them before at his primary school, he had never played with one. Harry wasn't fond of things being thrown at him, however, and he knew Teddy wouldn't like that either. So he had proposed that they see who could throw it the furthest. He was sure he could make it go at least fifteen meters without magic. "I bet I can. Even without magic."

The brown-haired boy shook his head but gave it. Harry would try it anyway, even if he doubted that it would work. "Okay, then. Throw it to that tree." Teddy replied, pointing out a tree that had to be at least fifteen meters away, if not more.

Harry nodded, locking his eyes on the tree. He took a step back, judging the distance before setting the disc flying with a twist. He groaned, summoning it back to him when it didn't even land near the tree. "Your turn then."

He shrugged, glancing at the tree as he took the disc. He knew that it was bound to arc, all of the discs seemed to be arcing. So if he factored in gravity and the little bit of mundane science he understood, he might get closer to Harry. He didn't think it would reach the tree though. He pulled his arm back, setting the disc flying. "Closer than yours!" He grinned, summoning the disc back and passing it to Harry.

Louis frowned, watching the two older preteens for several minutes as he slowly moved closer to them. None of the other boys had wanted to play with him, they never really did, and he didn't like the idea of something coming at him anyway. But the game Harry and Teddy were playing looked interesting.

After several attempts, Harry grinned, getting the disc the closest to the tree yet. He knew he would reach it eventually. He summoned the disc back, offering it to Teddy. But the other boy was staring behind them. "What's wrong?"

"I think Louis wants to play." Which would be okay, he guessed. He had noticed that the few boys closer to Louis' age wanted nothing to do with him, but he also knew that Louis didn't help matters. He met Harry's eyes for a long moment, waiting until the other boy nodded before turning back to where the younger boy was watching them.

"Hey Louis! You want to try?" He called out, hiding a smirk when the smaller preteen hurried over.

"You sure?" He hesitated, taking the disc that was offered to him. He wasn't sure if he could throw it as far as the older boys and he wasn't really sure why they would let him play with them. He wasn't usually very nice to them, or anyone else for that matter.

Harry nodded, studying the younger boy for a long moment. "You can play." He shrugged, shaking his head when  
Louis tried and failed to throw the disc. He could see the boy's frustration and since he really didn't want the younger kid getting mad and going off, he figured they better show him how to do it first. "Here, Louis. Hold it like this."  
He blinked, adjusting his hold on it so that his hand mirrored Harry's. He tried again, grinning when the disc actually flew this time. It didn't reach the tree, but that was alright. It was just for fun, after all.

-x-

"Alright Eric, you're up."

He snorted, leaning back in his seat. The meetings were always run like this, with the older members going first to help the younger ones feel more comfortable telling their own stories. But he could tell how shocked Paul was by this. He had told him that it would be a different sort of meeting and he wasn't lying. "I'm Eric. I've been sober for... eleven years? " He paused doing the math in his head for a moment before smiling. "Yeah, it's been eleven years. I am a pediatric doctor in charge of the medical needs for a large boarding school now. " He hadn't had a drink since Alexis was fifteen, and that one had been the first in a while. Not that he hadn't wanted one since, because he had, but he knew he couldn't have just one drink.

Eleven years?! It was hard enough that he hadn't had a drink in over a year. He couldn't imagine being sober for that long. But then again, he could not have imagined that he would be sober for a year. Hearing these stories and listening to people who actually wanted to be better was inspiring. He thought maybe he could even come to another meeting. Not that this one was over yet.

"Questions, young people?" He added, glancing at Paul before turning his eyes to one of the other young members.  
"Danny?" They always let the younger and newer members ask them questions and usually it was the same question.

"When did you last want a drink?"

He blinked at the pale young man, sighing softly. That wasn't the question he had expected, actually. But the policy here was honesty and he wasn't ashamed to admit that sometimes he, too, wanted a drink. "At about 4 this morning." He leaned forward, knowing the next question he would get, because he had seen the grimaces on the older members. They had known him long enough to know why he might want to drink.

"Did you lose a kid?" Lidia inquired softly, relaxing when he shook his head. It was always hard for her to hear him talk about when a child died on his table. It didn't matter that she didn't know the kids, it was always upsetting. But she knew Eric was very careful to make sure any stories he told weren't detailed enough to make any of them want to drink or throw up.

"Alright, spill." Kenny ordered, tilting his head. Eric only ever wanted to drink when he lost a child or one of his children was hurt. If it wasn't the first, it would have to be the second and he knew both of the man's children were grown. One wasn't much older than the young sponsee with Eric.

He closed his eyes for a moment, before nodding. "I didn't lose a patient. My son's partner was a soldier. He has PTSD. When my son called me early this morning, I knew something was wrong. My son-in-law was stuck in the midst of a flashback carrying his sidearm around their apartment. And they are taking the same path my husband and I did, they are fostering. So I had an irrational armed young man jumping at shadows with twin thirteen year olds asleep in the next room. By the time we were able to get the sidearm away from him and get him calmed down, I wanted a drink. " He had wanted a drink, but he hadn't needed a drink. He had managed to calm himself and Remus down once he had given Severus enough potion to make him sleep. He had braided Remus' hair, a task that forced him to focus on what he was doing and one that Remus had always found comforting.

"That's hard. When my PTSD was bad, right after the war, I remember always wanting a drink right after. But I never realized how much those flashbacks terrified my wife until I found her crying one night. She was more scared I was going to hurt myself or one of the children, than her. I sold my sidearm and rifle the next day." Mike piped up, catching Eric's eyes. He knew the dark-skinned man was as much a father to his son-in-law as he was to his two children. He didn't know how he would feel if one of his children had a violent flashback like that.

He nodded, meeting Mike's eyes for a long moment. Mike had talked about the war he fought in before and he knew that the horrors the other man witnessed were right up there with the ones Severus had seen and done. "If it wasn't a requirement for his job, he wouldn't have a sidearm. At least until he was ready to carry one again." That was the truth, actually. He would have taken Severus' wand at the end of the war if he had thought it wouldn't do more damage to the younger man. He had done it to both Remus and Alexis before, when it was more dangerous for them to carry a wand because they weren't stable. He glanced at the young man beside him, having heard that small gasp. He knew that Paul probably would understand why he might take another wizard's wand, he was a mind-healer after all, but he also knew that he was young enough that the thought was shocking. "Alright, your turn."

Paul grimaced, staring down at his feet for a moment. This meeting was so different than any he had ever been to before. For one, no one stated that they were alcoholics. When Kenny had started the meeting, he had explained that they didn't refer to themselves as alcoholics not because they were denying it, but because everyone in that room already knew they were alcoholics or they wouldn't be there. It also felt like a safe place where he could just be Paul, he didn't have to wear a mask. "I'm Paul and I've been sober for a year. I'm a counselor at Eric's boarding school." He stated after several more moments of silence. He liked that to, that they gave him time to think, that they didn't just move on because he was taking to long to answer. "To be honest, this is the first meeting I haven't thought I might get kicked out of." He furrowed his brows at the chuckles that followed, confused for a moment before Kenny started talking.

"Let's do the fun one, guys. Who here has been kicked out of a meeting?" He grinned, nodding when every hand in the room when up. "Eric didn't tell you? That's why we decided to start this group in the first place. We both bounced around to meetings until we met at one, where I believe we left due to sheer boredom." Kenny stated calmly, smiling at the young man. Most of the people in the room had either been brought by another member or been pushed their way by a probation officer or religious leader. They were well known in the faith communities as  
accepting everyone and as a place for the misfits.

"Aye. I think we left because the group leader fell asleep in the middle of it. Kenny and I started this fifteen years ago as a safe place for those who didn't quite fit in the traditional meetings. Kenny runs the meetings now and we no longer meet in a pub, but it hasn't really changes since that day over burgers so long ago." Eric added quietly, glancing at the new members for a moment before turning his eyes back to Paul. He hadn't actually been planning to tell Paul he founded the group, because he had thought that might put the young man off. But it wasn't like it was a secret or anything. This wasn't a twelve step programme. For the people in this room, those types of programmes never worked. Here, they were a support group and so far they had a lot of success.

"Alright, Lidia. It's your turn." Kenny redirected after a few minutes of silence. When the woman glared at him, he  
knew this would be interesting.  
-x-


End file.
